By: Mohamed Sahr
African Information Ministers have highlighted the importance of media cooperation as a strategic tool for strengthening ties between Africa and China during the 7th Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation, held from 19–21 August 2026 in Beijing.
The forum, co-organised by China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), was held under the theme “Share Development Opportunities, Shape the Audio-visual Future.” It focused on the role of radio, television, and audiovisual media in promoting people-to-people exchanges, supporting economic and trade development, and creating opportunities for youth engagement.
Alhaji Mohamed Sarjoh Bah, Permanent Representative of the African Union to China, said Africa’s creative economy remains one of the continent’s most dynamic sectors, driven by the energy, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of its young people.
He noted that the future of Africa-China cooperation in the creative sector must move beyond traditional content exchange towards the development of integrated value chains that support film production, broadcasting, animation, gaming, digital content creation, and cultural entrepreneurship.
Bah emphasized that Africa and China must establish partnerships capable of generating employment, attracting investment, and creating new sources of economic growth.
“Equally important, we must ensure that Africa’s story is told in all its richness, diversity, and complexity,” he said.
The AU Representative observed that Africa has often been portrayed through narratives that do not fully reflect the aspirations, achievements, and realities of its people. He stressed that stronger cooperation between African and Chinese media organizations would allow both regions to tell stories that promote mutual understanding, build trust, and highlight shared opportunities.
He further encouraged Africa and China to embrace the transformative power of digital technology and artificial intelligence while ensuring that innovation remains inclusive, ethical, and people-centred.
“We are witnessing a technological revolution of unprecedented scale. Artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and next-generation communication platforms are reshaping how information is created, distributed, and accessed,” Bah said.
He called on both sides to ensure that African voices are heard more clearly, African stories are shared more widely, and citizens of Africa and China continue to learn from one another through meaningful cooperation.
According to him, media should become more than a reflection of the Africa-China partnership; it should serve as a transformative force that promotes development, strengthens solidarity, supports peace, and contributes to building a shared future.
Hon. Chernor Bah, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education reaffirmed Africa’s readiness to collaborate with China on responsible artificial intelligence, media innovation, research, skills development, and policies that ensure technology promotes truth, inclusion, and human creativity.
“We should expand exchanges between African and Chinese media institutions, encourage joint reporting and professional training, share experiences in digital transformation, and create stronger partnerships among broadcasters,” Minister Bah said.
He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to working with China and other African partners to build a media and audiovisual future that informs citizens, strengthens institutions, empowers young people, celebrates cultural diversity, and advances shared prosperity.
Minister Bah highlighted opportunities for Sierra Leone-China cooperation in strengthening media institutions, modernizing broadcasting and audiovisual infrastructure, improving public broadcasting services, expanding professional exchanges, developing creative industries, and building the capacity of journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, producers, and digital media professionals.
SIMA Hong, Vice Mayor of the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, said China-Africa friendship has continued to grow through stronger media cooperation and the production of high-quality content.
She expressed China’s commitment to supporting African journalists and media professionals through exchange and training programmes aimed at improving digital transformation skills, strengthening cooperation, and promoting shared learning.
Madam Hong added that China-Africa media cooperation has expanded over the years, contributing to stronger people-to-people connections through quality content, digital transformation, and government-to-government dialogue.
The forum concluded with African Information Ministers reaffirming their commitment to deepening China-Africa cooperation through knowledge sharing, exchange programmes, and investment in human capital development to shape the future of media and audiovisual communication.