More than 200 journalists from 100 countries gathered in Fuzhou, China, on Tuesday for the 2026 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road, with media organisations calling for stronger collaboration, joint reporting and deeper exchanges.
The forum, hosted by People’s Daily and the People’s Government of Fujian Province, was held under the theme “Pursuing Common Understandings and Shared Aspirations along the Belt and Road”.
Discussions focused on the role of the media in building consensus and mobilising collective strength to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Participants called for stronger news reporting, more joint coverage and deeper exchanges, highlighting the media’s role in strengthening people-to-people connections, building consensus for development and telling compelling Belt and Road stories using real data.
The discussions also highlighted development, security, people-centred approaches and dialogue, as well as the media’s role in promoting the free flow of goods.
People’s Daily has organised nine Media Cooperation Forums on Belt and Road since 2014. The forums have provided a platform for global media outlets, enterprises and institutions to engage in dialogue and cooperation, share insights, address challenges and promote common development.
The Belt and Road News Network, jointly established by media organisations, aims to strengthen understanding, friendship and cooperation.
Participants also highlighted three aspects of Belt and Road cooperation: partnership, connection and harmony.
Partnership was described as helping the Belt and Road dream flourish, while connection focuses on deepening people-to-people exchanges and covering Belt and Road stories from local perspectives. Harmony was presented as allowing different voices to be heard and helping build international consensus.
The forum has evolved from a Chinese initiative into an international platform, with participants highlighting its relevance to deepening Belt and Road cooperation.
Media representatives attending the forum also issued the Belt and Road Media Cooperation: Fuzhou Initiative, which outlines five areas for strengthening media exchanges and cooperation: win-win cooperation, building consensus, deepening content collaboration, embracing technological change and strengthening people-to-people ties.
The initiative says Belt and Road cooperation has, over the past 13 years, grown from a Chinese initiative into an international practice and entered a new stage of high-quality development.
It calls on media organisations across countries to uphold professional integrity, discard subjective bias, identify and reject misinformation and amplify positive voices.
“Through rational and fair reporting, we should build bridges of understanding and mutual trust,” the initiative says.
It also urges media organisations to use multilateral cooperation platforms such as the Belt and Road News Network for joint interviews, personnel exchanges, information sharing and programme co-production.
The initiative calls for a broad-based, diverse and regular cooperation mechanism to produce more compelling and engaging quality content, with media organisations serving as “recorders, participants, and promoters” of Belt and Road cooperation.
It further highlights the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging information technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The initiative calls on media organisations to keep pace with digital and intelligent development and use technology to expand the reach of quality content and amplify the voice of Belt and Road cooperation.
On people-to-people ties, it urges media organisations to serve as envoys of civilisational exchanges, expand cultural and people-to-people interactions and organise grassroots exchange activities.
It also highlights the meaning of “Fu”, or blessing, in Fujian, saying it can serve as a bridge among different countries and peoples.
The initiative calls for continued close exchanges among media organisations across countries to convey the voice of the times for shared development and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind and a better world.
Participants committed to strengthening news reporting, deepening exchanges and cooperation, amplifying the voice of solidarity and spreading Belt and Road stories more widely.
