The 4th CMG Forum opens on Friday in Qufu, Shandong province, the birthplace of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. [Photo by Zhao Ruixue/chinadaily.com.cn]
More than 300 guests from 95 countries and regions attended the 4th CMG Forum opened on Friday in Qufu, Shandong province, the birthplace of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius to discuss the roles of cultural exchange and technological empowerment.
These guests including political figures, leaders of international organizations, heads of mainstream media organizations, diplomats, experts, scholars and representatives from multinational corporations aim to strengthen communication and mutual learning, deepen innovation collaboration, and inject new momentum into building an open and inclusive international communication ecosystem.
Lin Wu, Party secretary of Shandong, said Shandong is strengthening the role of AI, 5G, VR and other technologies to promote the innovative development of the media.
He extended his sincere invitation to friends from around the world to experience Shandong firsthand and gain a deeper understanding of China through personal engagement.
CMG President Shen Haixiong said the group remains committed to building bridges of dialogue through media communication and will work hand in hand with global partners to continuously inject the power of civilization into global peace and development.
Students greet foreign visitors during a field-study in Qufu, Shandong province on Friday. [Photo by Zhao Ruixue/chinadaily.com.cn]
Melissa Fleming, UN under-secretary-general for global communications, said in a video address that while generative artificial intelligence brings new productivity and social benefits, it also poses significant risks that fuel a crisis of trust. Through the forum, she called on global media organizations to collaborate and rebuild integrity in cyberspace.
Leaders of UNESCO, the World Tourism Organization, Kazakhstan's Presidential Broadcasting Service, Euronews, CNBC, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Associated Press, Brazil's Bandeirantes Media Group, Reuters and Agence France-Presse delivered speeches either on-site or via video.
They expressed hopes that through the forum, they could enhance exchanges and mutual learning, deepen innovative collaborations amid technological transformations, inject new impetus into building an open and inclusive international communication ecosystem, and gather the strength of civilizations for world peace and development.
CMG also debuted its new media initiative "China Up Close", during which international journalists will explore Shandong for a week.
"Today we can see that after more than 2,000 years, everything Confucius said are still relevant, even in the field of technology," said Dan Horia Maxim, Romanian Ambassador to China.
