Reform and opening, initiated in the late 1970s, consolidated national power and injected new energy into the media. China established closer relations with other countries and the world felt a concurrent need to learn about China. All this created a favorable environment for the development of China’s international communications media.

Science and technology developed rapidly during this time, pushing forward the evolution of the media. Since the 1980s, China has incorporated advanced satellite transmission, telecommunications and digital technology, laser phototypesetting, multimedia and the Internet, improving traditional services and creating new ones.

The media have been bursting with vitality in the last two decades. The central and local governments established foreign press offices and people from all walks of life actively participated in Sino-foreign cultural exchanges. Reporters and editors have taken the initiative in establishing ongoing contact with foreign countries.

Development of the Traditional Media

News Agencies

The Xinhua News Agency has grown into one of the five largest press services in the world. China News Service was re-established in the late 1970s and has gradually developed working relationships with radio and TV stations, newspapers and periodicals in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and other countries, becoming influential among overseas Chinese.

Radio Stations
The Central People’s Broadcasting Station has increased its broadcasts to Taiwan, and in 1994 it started broadcasting to Hong Kong and Macao. Over the years it has upgraded and fully modernized its system for recording, editing and broadcasting. It started to transmit by satellite in 1989 and a new transmission and broadcasting center has been constructed.

The International Broadcasting Department changed its name to China Radio International in the late 1970s and now broadcasts in 43 languages. It is one of the three largest international radio stations in the world.

Periodicals

To meet the growing demands of foreign readers, more foreign-language editions of periodicals are being published. New technologies have been adopted for both publication and distribution.

China Today(formerlyChina Reconstructs) added Chinese, North American and English Braille editions.Chinaafricastarted publication in English and French.People’s ChinaandChina Pictorialadopted stenochromy technology, andBeijing Review,China Today,People’s ChinaandChina Pictorialhave all entered American and Japanese distribution channels.

On January 1, 1997, China Internet Information Center established the “China” site on the Internet, putting China News and Report published by the Information Office of the State Council, government white papers and the Chinese, English and Japanese editions of the periodicals mentioned above on line.