China Media Centre

Asian media ’should expand influence’

BEIJING – Asian media should increase their influence to match the growing economic clout of the continent, a top Chinese official has said.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of Asia News Network （ANN）, an alliance of 21 leading newspapers in Asia.

The dramatic economic growth in China has meant a renewed international influence. President Obama’s recent visit, and the effective establishment of the “G2,” marked international recognition of the fact that China is, today, a central actor in the world economy. Historically, economic power has always been accompanied by increasing international cultural influence – soccer, Hollywood and karaoke are just some of the things bequeathed by other big economies to the rest of the world. It is certain that China’s economic stature will also be reflected in the diffusion of Chinese culture.

Google has freedom to quit or stay: Chinese minister

It is up to Google to decide whether to withdraw from China or continue to stay, Li Yizhong, minister of industry and information technology, said Friday. Li made the remarks in response to questions about Google’s suspenseful “quiting China” claim at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliament session.