CCTV boss Zhu Tong: 'Chinese media has been objective, fair and positive in Africa-related reports'; now reaches 31 million African TV households.

China says its news coverage of Africa "has been objective, fair and positive in Africa-related reports" and that its CCTV News channel carried by both MultiChoice's DStv and StarTimes' StarSat now reaches more than 31 million African TV households.

Zhu Tong, the deputy editor-in-chief at China Central Television (CCTV) spoke on Tuesday at the first China-Africa Media Leadership Summit that was held in Africa.

The summit, to cement greater cooperation between China and Africa saw 200 representatives from across Africa and China converge in Cape Town, South Africa and was co-organised by Naspers and China's StarTimes pay-TV operator.

CCTV's 24-hour TV news channel in English, CCTV News (DStv 409 / StarSat 266) is currently carried on MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV platform DStv as well as on On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media South Africa's StarSat.

MultiChoice forms part of Naspers' pay-TV division, while StarSat is part of the StarTimes conglomerate.

CCTV News, through its production centre CCTV Africa production office in Nairobi, Kenya, brodcasts shows like the daily Africa Live.

"Chinese and Africa media is like family," said Zhu Tong.

"I believe that this media summit will bring us onto the track of fast development in communicating with each other, promoting mutual understanding and inclusiveness, and deepening cooperation and consensus and will open up a new era of win-win cooperation between Chinese and African media."

"Chinese media has been objective, fair and positive in Africa-related reports," said Zhu Tong at the summit.

"A survey by Oxford University finds that 'Chinese media platforms in Africa, including CCTV Africa, have formed a strategy to advocate a perspective to look at Africa differently from that of Western media".

"What CCTV Africa reports is an uprising, promising continent, not Africa struggling with hunger, wars and backwardness," said Zhu Tong.

"CCTV has long taken an objective and fair stance, a positive and upbeat keynote, a unique and positive perspective and warm languages in reporting Africa-related affairs".

Zhu Tong says CCTV has actively worked to launch its international CCTV News channel in Africa.

"By early October this year, CCTV News had reached 56 African countries and regions by signing contracts with local TV agencies and through unencrypted satellite coverage, now reaching 31.78 million Africa households."

"So far, mainstream TV stations in Kenya, Seychelles, Uganda, Namibia and Lesotho have broadcast many outstanding programmes made by China, including Africa Live produced by CCTV Africa," said Zhu Tong.

China and South Africa call for greater media cooperation at Naspers and StarTimes' 1st China-Africa Media Leadership Summit.

China and South Africa echoed their mutual and growing media appreciation and called for even greater media cooperation between the two countries at the start of the first ever China-Africa Media Leadership Summit held in Cape Town today.

The media summit, with South Africa's Naspers and China's StarTimes as co-organisers, comes on the eve of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation taking place in Johannesburg on 3 and 4 December, with China's president Xi Jinping visiting South Africa after a two day visit to Zimbabwe.

More than 200 professionals and delegates from South Africa, from across Africa and from the People's Republic of China – 43 countries in total – are attending today's summit at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) with representatives from newspapers, TV, radio and new media organisations attending. 

China and South Africa kicked off the media summit with both countries calling for greater media cooperation.

Jeff Radebe, the minister in the presidency, who called the summit a "historic moment" for Chinese and South African media, urged South Africa media to "take the splendid opportunity" to establish new "win-win strategies" to strengthen Sino-African relationships and asked China to help with media capacity development in Africa and South Africa.

Kang Yong, the Chinese consul-general to Cape Town said China has been Africa's largest trading partner since 2009. 

"[China's TV news channel] CCTV News has set up a news production centre in Africa; StarTimes has more than 6 million subscribers across Africa. I sincerely hope that Chinese and African media can work together to tell our stories together."

Kang Yong said that China and Africa in the past had been much maligned in international news coverage and said he hoped that Africa and China can set up more channels and platforms for "pragmatic cooperation" since these countries "have to tell their own stories".

Pang XinXing, president of the StarTimes pay-TV group said the media summit should be held on a regular basis to build media cooperation between China and African media.

Jiang Jianguo, minister of China's State Council Information Office (SCIO) said Chinese and African media should stand together to condemn terrorism.

"I hope Chinese and African media will innovate in the pursuit of journalism and report on the real stories of the context between African and Chinese people and how Chinese cooperation has benefitted people on both sides".

He said China's StarTimes and South Africa's Naspers have set good examples with mutual investment in Africa and China.

China has become Africa's largest trading partner and has offered loans totaling $32 billion to African nations the past two years.