The Americas Center of China International Communications Group is a government front to strengthen the relationship through media and exchanges
China’s cities are polluted. The Chinese are short. They only eat dog, cat and exotic animal meat. If you still don’t know China, forget all these stereotypes about the Asian giant, which has the second largest economy in the world (GDP of US$ 18.53 trillion) and a population of 1.425 billion people, competing shoulder to shoulder for title of most populous country in the world with India (1.428 billion inhabitants). Going to China is an experience that literally opens your eyes to modernity and other characteristics that few people talk about about the country with many facets.
Chinese cities are clean, beautiful, there is green everywhere, with streets lined with flower beds, where you can see a lot of people riding bikes (especially in Beijing), mixing wooded landscapes with hi-tech screens, like in Chengdu, for example, known as the city of pandas. Progress sets the tone in Shanghai, with its immensity of colorful skyscrapers at night and the hustle and bustle of frenetic shopping centers. The truth is that each part of China is very different from the other, including in customs and cuisine. I heard this a lot from Chinese people when I was in the country on a two-week trip.
I participated in a delegation of Brazilians made up of journalists and influencers that visited four Chinese cities, at the invitation of Kuaishou, the Chinese company that controls Kwai, which announced, in Beijing, the launch of its e-commerce in Brazil, and the China Center for the Americas International Communications Group (CICG), linked to the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
We took a tourist and business tour in four cities: Beijing (Chinese capital); Chengdu; Hangzhou and Shanghai. We visit stunning places, such as the Great Wall of China, more than 21 thousand kilometers long, considered one of the seven wonders of the world and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Americas Center is responsible for strengthening cultural, economic and political ties between China and the countries of the Americas, with special attention to Brazil, in a clear communication effort to bring the two countries closer together. Receiving delegations of foreigners, Brazilians like us, to introduce China, is one of the activities it carries out, through events, cultural exchanges and partnerships with institutions. Another front of movement are the publications it produces, such as China Hoje magazine, with content in Portuguese about Chinese culture, economy and society. According to the Center, this cooperation reflects Brazil’s strategic importance to China in Latin America, mainly in areas such as trade, technology and sustainability.
The China International Communications Group (CICG) has several publications aimed at an international audience. In addition to China Hoje, there is the Beijing Review magazine, with 66 years of history, published in English and focusing on politics, economics and culture; China Pictorial, available in several languages and known for its visual reports on everyday life and development in China; People’s China, aimed at Japanese-speaking readers, which promotes understanding of China in Japan; and the China Report, also in English, with a variety of topics on innovation, public policies and international relations in China.
The structure includes, for example, director Liu Yunyun and reporters Tao Xing and Filipe Porto, a Brazilian who has lived in China for about a year, who accompanied us during the trip. “Beijing Review’s mission is to introduce China to the world. We write stories in English about various aspects of China to help foreign readers understand the country better. After the reforms, our center focused more on the Americas region and incorporated the Spanish and Portuguese versions of China Today magazine: China Hoy and China Hoje, making Latin America particularly important to us,” reports Tao Xing.
Graduated in international communication, Tao Xing, who also studied in England, talks about the mission of building connections with Brazil through media and international exchange. “The influence of Chinese media in Brazil is still relatively weak compared to that of American media. On the one hand, we are trying to discover an effective way to build connection with Brazil through the media. On the other hand, we believe that communication between people is crucial, which is why we invite you to come here. We hope that after visiting China and witnessing the country’s development, you can bring the true Chinese image to the Brazilian people and let them know how much we value the friendship between us”, he highlights.
At the same time, the Center for the Americas also holds events in Brazil, such as the next forum on Sino-Brazilian civilizations, which will take place in November, in Rio de Janeiro, and will feature a Chinese delegation. In love with China, Brazilian Filipe Porto decided to move to the country due to a combination of factors. Graduated in international relations, he made a transition to journalism, where the country welcomed him.
“I’ve always been that person who talked about China, seeing since college how different the country is in the way it positions itself in the world and wanting to expand that knowledge. He believed that journalism would be an effective path, as academic research in international relations seemed very restricted. Furthermore, whenever I visited China, I came back impressed and frustrated at seeing so many incredible things not highlighted in the media. It was common to sit down with friends to have a coffee and express this dissatisfaction, until I decided to do something about it”, says Porto.
Currently, he edits articles for China Hoje magazine, in addition to anchoring videos presenting China in Portuguese for Brazilians. Following President Xi Jinping’s maxim of “telling China’s story well” and “promoting people-to-people exchanges”, he states that it fills him with pride to participate in activities that bring foreigners from different backgrounds to get to know the country. “The intention is not to make them love or hate China, but to create their own vision of the country, which is immune from other interests and interference that do not serve the national interests of their countries of origin”, concludes the Brazilian.
Tour
The Brazilian delegation tour in which I participated included visits to the Forbidden City, in Beijing, which combines ancient history with innovation. China’s capital is also known for its traditional hutongs (narrow alleys). In Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, in the southwest of the country, which has a relaxed lifestyle and spicy cuisine, we visited the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Base. On the trip to Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, in eastern China, we were able to experience how an important hub for e-commerce and digital economy in China works, with a visit to the Linping short video production base (Lin Film Studio ), partner of Kuaishou, a kind of Projac from China.
In Shanghai, the last point of the trip, we took a night boat trip along the Huangpu River, which runs through the city and from where you have a stunning view of the colorful and vibrant skyscrapers of the economic center which, for me, is the most cosmopolitan metropolis. from China. We also went to Yuyuan Park, a shopping center with old Chinese buildings and dozens of traditional stores selling everything from local items, souvenirs, handicrafts to drinks, such as the famous and ancient Chinese cachaça Baijiu. I can say that I return from China renewed, with a completely different image of the country than I had before the trip, impressed by the kindness of the Chinese, and inspired by the Chinese development and way of life.
