On the morning of November 20th, Mustafa Savage, Director of Al Jazeera Network; Saladin, Director of the Al Jazeera Research Center, and Nasser Al Jazeera’s Beijing branch correspondent visited CARC. Professor Zhu Weilie, Director of the Central Experts Committee; Executive Director Wang Guangda; Associate Professor Chen Yueyang, and the graduate representatives of Arabic Language Department welcomed the delegation at the Hongkou Campus.
The two sides exchanged views on China's reform and development roads, the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Arab countries, and China-Arab people-to-people exchanges. Professor Wang introduced the basic situation of the Center to the guests and expressed his desire to establish friendly and cooperative relations with the Al Jazeera Research Center. It is hoped that the two sides could cooperate in the exchange of scholars and academic conferences.
Responding to the delegation’s question on the “Belt and Road” Initiative, Professor Zhu Weilie pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative is the public goods and Chinese wisdom that China has contributed to the world. China adheres to the five types of connectivity with any country that intends to join the initiative to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. Associate Professor Chen Yueyang expressed her desire to strengthen people-to-people exchanges with Al Jazeera. As an influential media in the Arab world, it is hoped that the Al Jazeera’s Beijing branch would play a more important role in enhancing the positive perception between China and Arab countries. Dr. Mustafa pointed out that although the Al Jazeera Media Group has faced some controversies and challenges in recent years, its continuous introduction of new media products is still at the forefront of the Arab media, and continues to achieve new growth points for users. Al Jazeera always adheres to professional and objective news reports, and hopes to strengthen the people-to-people exchanges between the two sides in a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of China and present a more objective image of China.
At the beginning of the talks, the delegation watched the central propaganda film. After the meeting, the Center presented the guests with the Governance of the Country (Arabic version), and Al Jazeera presented the latest publication of the Al Jazeera Research Center to CARC.
Al Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is known as the BBC in the Middle East. In 2015, Al Jazeera opened its China business and established a branch office in Beijing. Through this exchange, the two sides have enhanced their understanding mutually and promoted people-to-people exchanges between China and Arab countries.