Global South media, think tank forum launches in China

The 2025 Global South Media and Think Tank Forum opened Saturday in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

The event has brought together around 500 participants from more than 260 media outlets, think tanks, government agencies and international organizations across 110 countries and regions.

Armenia is represented at the forum by Johnny Melikyan, Head of the International Relations Research Service at the Public Relations and Information Center of the Prime Minister’s Office and Narine Nazaryan, Director of the Armenpress State News Agency.

The forum is co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency, the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee, and the People’s Government of Yunnan Province.

Fu Hua, President of Xinhua News Agency, emphasized at the opening ceremony the importance of pooling the research capabilities of Global South countries, strengthening multilateral exchange mechanisms and mobilizing driving forces for regional development and prosperity. 

As China’s national news agency, Xinhua announced the launch of the Global South Joint Communication Partnership Network during the forum, which is expected to include more than 1000 media outlets, think tanks and other institutions from 95 countries.

During the plenary session titled “Bridging Culture, Fostering Understanding,” Armenpress Director Narine Nazaryan noted that the theme resonates deeply with Armenia's historical experience.

“Positioned at the crossroads of civilizations, Armenia has for millennia served as a cultural bridge between East and West, North and South. Our resilience as a nation and our openness to dialogue are living proof that even the smallest nations can serve as pathways for global understanding. Culture is not a soft power - it is a strategic power. It is through culture that we humanize the “other,” break down stereotypes, and nurture mutual respect.

At a time when mistrust, polarization, and information wars are on the rise, cross-civilizational dialogue becomes a critical tool for peacebuilding and sustainable development.

We do believe that storytelling, when rooted in dignity and truth, is the most powerful form of diplomacy.

“We also recognize the importance of building partnerships between media outlets and think tanks. Knowledge must inform narratives - and narratives must reach people. Let us co-create platforms that bring academic insight and journalistic reach together, so that civilizational dialogue moves beyond declarations and becomes daily practice,'' said Nazaryan.

This is the second such international forum. The first was held in November 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil.

As part of the program, tours have been organized for forum participants to showcase Yunnan province's production capacity, tourist attractions, innovation potential and the hospitality of its people.