Rwanda, China launch media forum ahead of President XI's Visit
Owners of Giant Chinese media houses and their Rwandan counterparts on Thursday, July 5, 2018, launched a media forum that will open space to tell the two countries’ stories.
China and Rwanda enjoy cordial relations for over 40 years now, but media owners from both countries agree that the stories written about them have been replicated mostly by western media.
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At the launch of the first ever forum, media managers from both countries agreed on a need to share expertise and content that would change the two countries’ image.
“For instance, the common thing the world know about China is a country that produces fake products. But we have seen how Chinese media has invested in changing this trend. We need to invest in telling our own stories,” said Magnus Mazimpaka – editor in chief of Taarifa – an online news website in Rwanda.
The launch of the forum was organised by The State Council Information Office, China and by Xinhua News Agency, China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the country on a two-day visit from July 22 to 23rd this year.
With the new media forum, according to John Mbanda – the Director in Charge of Media at Rwanda Governance Board, it will be the right time to tell so many untold stories to the world.
“The two countries have a long history of cooperation and friendship and they have many good stories which are still untold or are told on a biased way. There have been many misconceptions on the other side and it can be corrected with telling the truth of what Rwanda is and what China is within our own contexts,” Mbanda said at the forum that took place at Radisson Blu and Convention Centre.
KT Press
