China To Establish Media Information Training Base To Promote Collaboration With Asean Countries

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 29 (Bernama) -- China would set up a media information training base in Nanning City, China to better promote media collaboration between the country and Asean member countries. China senior official Xu Ying said the media information training base, which was hoped to be ready by the end of this year, would also enhance the voice and perspectives of Asia on the international stage. "The media information training base is like a business centre for the media industry for capacity building among Asean and China. I think this will be a great boost for our bilateral relationships," he said. The vice director-general of the State Council Information Office of China said this when met on the sidelines of the meeting of Asean senior officials responsible for information with senior officials from the three countries -- China, South Korea and Japan -- dubbed SOMRI+3, here. Xu said the media information training base would also establish partnerships between China and Asean news media, cooperation on information sharing, technical cooperation and exchange programmes. Japan senior official Masanori Kondo said the country would support any Asean activity in the communication field especially in human resource management and human capacity building. "We think that this meeting would be a very good opportunity for us to exchange views and opinion in the field of broadcasting industry," said the Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications director. Meanwhile, Freddy H.Tulung of Indonesia said the meeting had renewed the commitment to exchange content programmes relating to culture, news and features among each other. Lauding the meeting as being very conducive, Tulung said some Asean member states had carried out the programme but due to some reasons it was not continuously implemented. "So we have renewed the commitments and hopefully in the future, those kind of programmes can still tighten cooperation among Asean and its Dialogue Partners," said the director-general at the directorate-general of Information and Public Communication, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The SOMRI+3 meeting aims to review and discuss various projects that had been implemented previously and this year. The meeting Wednesday was a preparation for the 11th Meeting of Asean Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) Thursday. -- BERNAMA