Delegates attend the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 13, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference opened Thursday to explore ways to strengthen cooperation, amplify the Global South's collective voice and promote a shared global governance.

Co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency, the African Union (AU) and South Africa's Independent Media, among other partners, the two-day event gathered more than 200 representatives from over 160 media outlets, think tanks, government organizations and other institutions from China and 41 African countries, as well as the AU.

Under the theme "Reforming Global Governance: New Roles and Visions for China-Africa Cooperation," the conference focuses on how collaboration between media and think tanks can contribute to shaping a fairer and more inclusive global governance.

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, Lyu Yansong, editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to China-Africa cooperation, and at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit in September last year, Xi proposed that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

Noting that media and think tanks shoulder the important missions of disseminating authoritative information and recording the events of our times, Lyu said: "We should contribute our wisdom to making the Global South a stabilizing force for safeguarding peace, a pillar of open development, a constructive force in global governance, and a promoting force for mutual learning among civilizations."

Xinhua's editor-in-chief proposed implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative.

Media and think tanks from China and Africa should provide high-quality news coverage and academic research, and comprehensively expound on the Global South's solutions for advancing the reform of the global governance system, and demonstrate the Global South's strength reflected in the solidarity and cooperation of developing countries, he added.

Iqbal Surve, chairman of South Africa's Independent Media, hailed the Africa-China partnership as a beacon of what genuine cooperation can achieve, one grounded in mutual respect, shared goals, and a commitment to building a fairer, more inclusive world order.

The event gathered representatives from government, media and academic circles across African countries and China, highlighting the Global South's increasing cohesion and influence in global discourse, he added.

In her speech, Leslie Richer, the AU director of information and communication, said that the global order is undergoing transitions amid growing calls from the Global South for fair representation, control over resources and development with dignity.

Richer said that Africa is striving to move from being "a mere participant in global conversations" to becoming "a co-author in the story of humanity's future," adding that Africa will work with China and other Global South partners to make its voice heard more strongly on climate, finance and digital governance, while promoting more balanced narratives through closer media and think tank cooperation.

Addressing the conference, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng, said that China and Africa, as the world's largest developing country and the continent with the most developing nations, have a similar history of anti-colonialism and anti-hegemony, as well as a shared mission of development and revitalization, and are natural members and the backbone of the Global South.

"Media outlets and think tanks play a unique role in promoting solidarity and cooperation among the Global South," he said, adding that the forum provides a valuable platform for exchanging ideas and building consensus.

The ambassador also expressed his hope that all guests will speak freely and contribute their wisdom and strength to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and promoting solidarity and cooperation in the Global South.

During the forum, the representatives held in-depth discussions on three topics: "China-Africa Commitments to Global Governance Reform," "China-Africa Action for Global South Revitalization," and "China-Africa Exchange in Global Civilizational Coexistence."

They observed that after nearly 70 years of development, China-Africa relations have evolved into a model for a new kind of international partnership, and the cooperation has been deepening, leading the modernization process across the Global South.

Ismaila Ceesay, minister for information of The Gambia, said that it is believed that the future of global governance must be inclusive, multipolar and reflective of the rich diversity of human experience.

"China's support in fostering training, technology transfer and infrastructure development across Africa's media landscape is a valuable contribution toward this goal," he added.

"We look forward to sharing our experience in renewable energy development, power system construction and talent training to support African nations in enhancing energy security and strengthening the resilience and voice of the Global South," Xu Xinfu, a director of China Energy Investment Corporation Co., Ltd., said at the conference.

Shen Yumou, head of China's Hunan provincial commerce department, said that Hunan is ready to advance China-Africa mutual development through deeper opening-up and higher-quality cooperation, bringing more African products into the Chinese market and sharing more competitive industries and technologies with Africa.

The forum also features the release of a think tank report titled "Jointly Building a New Model of Global Leadership -- Work Together in Pursuit of a More Just and Rational Global Governance System," and the launch of the Global South joint communication partnership network "United in Heart, Path and Action -- 2026 China-Africa Partnership Empowerment Action Plan."