Parallel session of 5th World Media Summit opens in southwest China

KUNMING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China) and the 2nd Yunnan International Communication Forum held an opening ceremony Tuesday in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, Yunnan Province.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Wang Ning, secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said that with more international media outlets covering Yunnan in recent years, Yunnan has been brought closer to the rest of the world.

Noting that the province is a window into understanding a credible, appealing and respectable China, Wang encouraged the guests to take advantage of this summit to discover more compelling stories about the place.

Lyu Yansong, editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, said in his keynote speech that Xinhua has delivered in-depth news coverage to show the progress and philosophy of Chinese modernization, narrated the stories of China's development and achievements in the new era to a global audience, and reported on the practical endeavors of countries worldwide as they progress in their modernization initiatives.

He expressed the hope to enhance collaboration and deepen understanding with media organizations around the world to advance the modernization of the entire human society through collaborative efforts.

Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations resident coordinator in China, delivered a speech to the ceremony via video. Dmitry Kiselev, director general of the Rossiya Segodnya international media group, and other international guests also delivered remarks at the ceremony. These speakers agreed that the media has important responsibilities in promoting the exchange and mutual learning among civilizations, as well as the realization of modernization for human society.

They stated their willingness to learn more about China's practice of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature in its pursuit of modernization and to promote mutual understanding and friendship among people of all countries.

At the opening ceremony, a document titled "Kunming Initiative for the 5th World Media Summit" was adopted, and a thematic event showcasing the province's rich culture was launched.

The 5th World Media Summit (Yunnan, China), running until Friday, was co-hosted by Xinhua and the provincial government. It has attracted more than 300 representatives of around 80 institutions, including media outlets, international organizations and think tanks, from nearly 30 countries and regions.