President Xi urges new media outlet to "tell China stories well"

Liu Yunshan (C), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong (R) and Liu Qibao (L), a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attend the launching ceremony of the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 31, 2016. Chinese President Xi Jinping offered congratulations to CGTN launched Saturday, urging it to "tell China stories well" to the world. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered congratulations to a media organization launched Saturday, urging it to "tell China stories well" to the world.

"The relationship between China and the rest of the world is undergoing historic changes. China needs to know better about the world and the world needs to know better about China," Xi said in a congratulatory letter to the China Global Television Network (CGTN).

Set up by China Central Television (CCTV) as a rebranding of CCTV news, CGTN will integrate resources as part of the trend in media convergence, and be a multi-language, multi-platform media group.

It will consist of six TV channels, three overseas branches, a video content provider and a digital media division.

The president said CGTN should be culturally confident, news-focused, audience-aware, and to use integrated media.

CGTN should tell stories about China well and spread China's voice well; enable the world to see a multidimensional and colorful China; present China as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and an upholder of international order; and make efforts to build a community of common destiny, Xi said.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said CGTN should take responsibility for bridging China with the rest of the world.

CGTN should put news content first, highlight new ideas and strategies of state governance with Xi as the core, tell stories about China's development, explain China's path, theory and contribution, and have a voice in major global affairs and international issues, Liu said.

Liu called on CGTN to encourage media integration and use new technology to become a media brand with global influence.

In February 2016, Xi called for innovation in concepts, content and methods while visiting the country's three leading media institutions -- the People's Daily, the CPC's flagship newspaper; Xinhua News Agency, the state news agency; and CCTV, the country's broadcaster.

Xi told media groups to use the new media's edge in reaching people, turn up their voice on the international stage, tell stories about China well, and build flagship media groups with strong global influence.