Beijing, July 9th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation of media outlets from 12 Asian and African countries, led by Wee Ka Siong, President of the Malaysian Chinese Association. The delegation included media representatives from Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. 

Liu welcomed the delegation to China for the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Civilizations Dialogue, saying that civilizations around the world are diverse and colorful, and that dialogue among civilizations helps promote world peace and development. The media plays an important role in enhancing mutual understanding among people and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with media outlets from Asian and African countries, actively explore and disseminate the rich cultural resources of Asian and African countries, enhance ideological exchanges, increase mutual understanding, promote people-to-people friendship and advance the development of state-to-state relations. 

Liu said, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating in today's world and there are more unstable and uncertain factors. China is firmly committed to the path of peaceful development, maintaining the high continuity and stability of its policies and the high certainty of its development, which adds more impetus and stability to the world economy. China and Asian and African countries are all members of the Global South. We should strengthen unity and cooperation, carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, inherit the Bandung Spirit, enhance the strength of the Global South, and resolutely safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law. It is hoped that media outlets from Asian and African countries would play respective roles in spreading the voice of the Global South. 

Wee Ka Siong and others said, the world is undergoing tremendous changes and facing unprecedented challenges that require global solutions. The delegation's visit to China aims to further understand how China has achieved its current development achievements and effectively addressed the challenges in development process. The media plays a key role in disseminating information and supervising the government, and can also promote the development of state-to-state relations through independent and balanced reporting. In the current international situation, the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Civilizations Dialogue is of great significance. Countries can better understand each other's needs and find cooperation opportunities through dialogue. The 12 Asian and African media outlets are willing to strengthen dialogue with all parties through this meeting and promote global actions to jointly address common challenges. 

Li Mingxiang, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, attended the meeting.