Yunnan daily and ‘The Nation’ forge cooperation

The initiative by Yunnan Daily Press Group (YDPG) was launched with The Nation yesterday and both media groups signed an agreement on news and information exchanges. It will meet the information demand from increasing economic and cultural exchanges between the two news sources and increase knowledge about Yunnan province among Thais.
The ceremony was presided over by Thai Cultural Minister Veera Rojpojchanarat and witnessed by Tian Jing, deputy editor in chief of YDPG, Wu Zhiwu, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, Nation Group Editor in Chief Thepchai Yong and Pana Janviroj, president of The Nation.
Veera said that he appreciated that both media groups had played an important part in strengthening relations between the two countries. “It is also an opening of opportunity that could lead to closer relations towards Asean countries. Yunnan is the door for China to Thailand while Thailand is the gateway for China to other Asean countries,” the minister said.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Tian said that about 500,000 Thais visit Yunnan each year with popular places including Kunming and Sipsongpanna; while 900,000 Yunnan people come to Thailand annually.
“Our cooperation takes place auspiciously in this year that marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties,” Tian said. “Therefore, friendly exchanges and deep cooperation between the Yunnan-Thailand mainstream media will surely inject more vigour into brotherly Sino-Thai friendship.”
Pana Janviroj, president of The Nation said: “We could say that the cooperation is long overdue since Yunnan is an adjacent neighbour of Thailand and there has been coming and going by the two peoples over the centuries.”
The agreement was that the YDPG would publish “China: Yunnan”, an English news special, on The Nation twice every fortnight in 2016. The news special aims to report on rapid development taking place in Yunnan, which would be of interest to the Thai public, as well as lifestyle trends and the environment.
Yunnan wants to excel in its relationship with neighbouring countries – Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Special focus will be given to travel and tourism, trade and investment, as well as business exchanges.
The YDPG and The Nation will also work on establishing a new media platform, China (Yunnan)-Thailand New Media Alliance, which consists of influential new-media and media groups in Yunnan and Thailand.
Other media in both territories will be invited to join this initiative in sharing information, exchanging commercial links and promoting each other’s news reports. Both will have liaison offices in Kunming and Bangkok.
The Yunnan Group already has cooperation with media in South and Southeast Asia. Since 1995, it has published ten overseas news specials through links with media in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, plus the US. Meanwhile, The Nation is a founding member of the Asia News Network, an alliance of 22 media organisations in 19 countries.