Shen Haixiong, president of China Media Group (CMG), extended his New Year greetings to international audiences via CGTN, China Radio International and online platforms on January 1, 2024.
The following is the full text of the address:
Dear friends,
With the first sunrise of the New Year, we have embarked on the promising journey of 2024. Here in Beijing, I would like to extend my greetings to you all!
In 2023, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative ushered in its first decade of prosperity. Flowers bloomed along the way, and China and the world advanced hand in hand. China Media Group (CMG) has actively promoted exchanges among diverse civilizations on this road to prosperity and recorded countless beautiful and heart-touching stories in people's lives with lenses and pens.
Over the past year, we have taken our innovation of "Ideas + Art + Technology" to new heights. "The Classics Quoted by Xi Jinping Season II," a series of multilingual programs, was broadcast in more than 80 countries. A host of cultural programs we produced, including documentaries "Exploring Historical Chinese Cities" and "Seeking Antiques in China," and shows "Encountering Civilizations" and "Reading China on Bamboo Slips," made Chinese and world civilizations shine more brightly. Our broadcasting of the Hangzhou Asian Games won 41.4 billion reaches across our platforms, setting a record while documenting the passions and dreams.
Over the past year, we have seen an ever more passionate circle of friendship. We met old friends and made new ones. We signed 58 cooperation agreements with international media organizations. We held the second CMG Forum, ASEAN Media Partners Forum, and Our African Partners CMG Media Cooperation Forum. By staging 51 media events themed Chinese Modernization and the World and eight exhibitions named Journey Through Civilizations in different parts of the world, we, together with our friends from different countries, drew a beautiful picture of world modernization featuring peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and common prosperity.
The world today is still not peaceful. It is in great need of peace, development and cooperation to seek a win-win! We are pleased to see that more and more friends outside China are getting to understand, recognize and support China's ideas and propositions. During the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco, CMG held the Enduring Friendship event to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, which was warmly received. Harry Moyer, a 103-year-old Flying Tigers veteran who attended the event, told me that President Xi's vision of a global community with a shared future speaks to everyone's heart. After returning to China, I received postcards, globes and ornaments handmade by children from the Lincoln High School in Tacoma, U.S. Looking closely at these lovely little gifts, I felt the children's longing for peace, friendship and appreciation of different civilizations.
China Media Group, a comprehensive media group with the largest size in the world, has celebrated its fifth birthday. It has gone through its struggles, starting like a little lotus bud waiting to bloom. Now it is more like a fish having the sea to swim in, or a bird having the sky to fly across. Last year, we completed the construction of our 191st overseas bureau, having built a communications network covering 67 countries and regions across the world. The number of international users of CGTN exceeded 700 million for the first time. And CMG was often the first source in covering major world stories. On the journey of building a new-type, world-class mainstream media organization, we will go the extra mile to meet our goal of delivering quality products across our channels, networks and platforms, at an accelerating pace.
Dear friends, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar. The dragon is the mythical totem of Chinese civilization for good luck and good fortune. It represents the spirit of pooling all strengths, benefiting all beings, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and coexistence and interdependence between all things. The Chinese people, who are forging ahead on the new journey, will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in the Year of the Dragon. In this spirit of the dragon, China Media Group will bring more good stories about China and the world to our global audiences. Let's write down new chapters of modern human civilization and welcome the new spring together!
Again, my best wishes to you, and to the world. Happy New Year!
* This article was originally published by CGTN.