China, Philippines pledge to enhance media cooperation

China hopes to enhance media exchanges and build pragmatic cooperation with the Philippines to help create a bridge between the two countries and peoples, vice minister of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) Guo Weimin stated in his meeting with the Philippine Communications Operation Office (PCOO) Secretary, Martin Andanar, in Manila on August 18.

Guo led a Chinese media delegation to visit Manila between August 18 and 19.

Guo said China and the Philippines, two close neighbors across the sea, have cherished a time-honored friendship. As bilateral ties were again on the right track thanks to the joint efforts of the two countries, the cooperation had been expanding, including the media sector.

During President Rodrigo Duterte's state visit to China last year, the PCOO signed MOUs with the SCIO and the Ministry of Information for enhanced media cooperation.

Guo hoped his trip with the Chinese media delegation would pave the way for a higher level of cooperation between two sides.

His counterpart, PCOO Secretary Andanar agreed that such people-to-people exchanges played a pivotal role to communicate and enable the two counties to see the world through each other side's eyes.

"Exchanges result in good relations," said Andanar, "It was important to continue opening both counties not only for government-to-government, but also people-to-people exchanges so that the entire media would have better knowledge of both countries. It is a good start and a way to share knowledge and good practice, and to build mutual understanding and trust."

Andanar paid a visit to Chinese media outlets in May. He said he would like to share what he had learned in China with other ASEAN countries. He hoped both sides would be able to present a real image to the world.

The Philippines would send a media team to shoot documentary about China's culture and the Silk Road to help Filipinos to better know Chinese culture and introduce the Belt and Road Initiative to the local community.

The Chinese media delegation also exchanged views with its peers including People's Television (PTV), Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS), Philippine News Agency (PNA), and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). They expressed the wish to work closer with each other in sharing information and jointly producing programs for TV and broadcast.

The delegation also visited the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, Chinese enterprise of Huawei Technologies Phils. Inc. and APO Production Unit, Inc.