Media forum explores pace of growth

Media professionals from China and Germany exchanged views on a wide range of topics Sunday as the Third China-Germany Media Forum officially kicked off in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province.

The forum allows senior editors and reporters from both countries to gain a better understanding of each other by sharing views on issues of interest to both parties.

At the opening ceremony, He Chongyuan, vice president of the People's Daily, called for a mutual understanding of each other's differences.

"Media professionals from both China and Germany should focus their coverage more on bilateral trade, international development and cultural exchange, as a way of deepening the understanding between the two peoples," said He.

Prior to the start of the forum, the German media delegation was taken to an "exemplary community" in the outskirts of the city, where all the residents are former farmers who used to live in mountain villages. Over the last decade they have been moved to the city as part of Chengdu's urbanization efforts.

While urbanization in China is expected to speed up, Dai Xiaojing, CEO of the SEEC Media Group, regards it as a key challenge facing the Chinese government in the next 20 years, when China will see a migration of 300 to 400 million farmers from rural areas to cities.

"The impact of the urbanization process can be found not only in the rebalancing of the Chinese economy and social reforms, but also in how China can jump over the middle-income trap," said Dai. 

In his new book, Frank Sieren, a senior correspondent with the Die Zeit China Bureau, expects that in the next 10 years, the yuan will have the same importance as the US dollar and euro as one of the three major international currencies, while Chinese financial experts expect China will need more time to realize this goal, as adjustment and reform are required in many areas such as the domestic financial system, the banking system and the economic situation.

The media experts also held a comprehensive discussion on how to get through the current debt crisis in Europe. Hu Xijin, Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times, took a pessimistic view, basing his judgment on the lack of diligence among many countries in Europe, which will lead Europe to lose out against the US and East Asia. Chen Tong, the chief editor of sina.com.cn, insists that China should take advantage of the great opportunities it has in Europe.

Elisabeth Niejahr, deputy chief editor of the Die Zeit, took a different view. "It's not because the people in South Europe are lazy, it's mainly because these countries are cutting into the European currency system too quickly, which led to a rapid rise of the labor cost and finally caused the region to lose in competition."

Sponsored by the Global Times and the Robert Bosch Foundation, the first Forum was held in Shanghai in 2010, and the second in Berlin last year.