Pang XinXin, president, StarTimes Group, says the firm is in the forefront of installing digital satellite television for 10,000 villages in Africa.
Speaking in Beijing for the Fourth Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation, XinXin expressed his commitment to ensuring that Africa was digitally switched on within the shortest possible time.
Although a Chinese government initiative, he told delegates that StarTimes was the executor of the project which would ensure an uninterrupted access to satellite TV access for millions of Africans when completed.
About 400 delegates and senior government officials from 42 African countries have converged in Beijing for the Fourth Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation. The forum aims to enhance the media cooperation and exchange between China and Africa and boost the development of China-Africa ties in general.
The annual forum has become an important platform in promoting China-Africa media dialogue and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation since its founding in 2012.
According to Nie Chenxi, deputy head of publicity, The Communist Party of China (CPC) and minister of National Radio and Television, the Chinese government, under the leadership of Xi Jiping, would continue to work for a win-win friendship with Africa, where all parties were satisfied with the developments and exchanges to ensure the long standing relationship was sustained.
Chenxi noted that the 4th Forum of China-Africa Media Cooperation would not have been a success without the participation of all stakeholders, while pledging that China would help Africa achieve media excellence and sustainable progress in digitalisation.
At the forum, government ministers and the heads of media organisations from African countries and China exchanged opinions and ideas on cooperation and the development of the media sector, with most calling for more support in the areas of digital broadcasting and content improvement.
According to Gregoire NDJAK, chief executive officer, Africa Union Broadcasting, “China has done a lot for Africa in digital broadcasting.
He expressed great satisfaction with the achievements of the forum so far, adding that more should be done for Africa in the areas of signal quality, audio visual improvements, training and retraining of African broadcasters to improve quality of reportage.
Some of the countries represented included Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Zambia, Mozamboque, Kenya, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Congo, Egypt, Lesotho, and Liberia, among others.
