The seventh Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Beijing, placing artificial intelligence, broadcasting technology and digital trade at the center of discussions between Chinese and African media representatives.
📰 For this and more exclusive stories, read our weekly digital print edition.
Read E-PaperThe three-day China-Africa media forum will run through Aug. 21 at the Beijing Conference Center. It is co-hosted by China’s National Radio and Television Administration, the Beijing municipal government and the African Union of Broadcasting.
The Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau is organizing the event.
This year’s program includes an opening ceremony, a main forum and two parallel sessions. One session will examine how content innovation can support people-to-people exchanges, while the other will focus on technology cooperation and industrial development.
A separate meeting will explore practical applications of AI in radio, television and online audiovisual production.
AI and Broadcasting Technology on the Agenda
Industry specialists and representatives of major technology companies are expected to present AI applications, ultra-high-definition production tools and automated broadcasting systems.
Organizers said technology demonstrations, project-matching sessions and business negotiations are intended to connect Chinese technology providers with African broadcasters and media companies.
The agenda reflects an effort to expand China-Africa media cooperation beyond television-program exchanges and professional training into digital services, equipment sales and infrastructure development.
Forum briefing materials identify AI-assisted translation and dubbing as a potential growth area, particularly for adapting Chinese short-form dramas and other video content into English, French and Swahili.
Platforms including Lingxi AI and Massreel can automate translation, voice production and subtitle creation, according to the materials. They can also improve the resolution of older video footage.
The technologies may reduce localization costs and production times, although the briefing did not include independently audited figures on potential savings.
Chinese Broadcasting Equipment Enters African Markets
Chinese broadcasting equipment has entered several African markets in recent years.
Media organizations in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria have purchased portable SK-MiniS production systems, according to the forum materials.
South African users have also introduced professional live-production equipment.
The systems are designed to support television production, live sports coverage and reporting from locations outside traditional studios.
Chinese technical teams have also used 4K restoration technology on the Egyptian documentary “Mother Earth,” the materials said. The project forms part of a broader effort to apply Chinese audiovisual technology to the preservation of African film and television archives.
Infrastructure Projects to Feature in Talks
Broadcasting infrastructure assistance will be another focus of the China-Africa Media Cooperation Forum.
A restoration project at Djoué Radio Station in the Republic of the Congo repaired aging equipment and transmission faults and restored shortwave broadcasting, according to the briefing.
A separate project in Liberia includes a new production building, broadcasting systems, satellite transmission equipment and upgrades to transmitter facilities.
Forum materials also describe an ongoing digital television transition project in the Republic of the Congo valued at approximately 1 billion yuan, or about $140 million.
The project is expected to include the digitization of television stations, the construction of broadcast-control systems, transmission-network upgrades and the distribution of digital receivers.
Media and Electronics Companies Expand Operations
Commercial expansion by Chinese media and electronics companies in African markets will also feature in the discussions.
Streaming company iQIYI established a Middle East and North Africa operations hub in Dubai in 2025. Forum materials said its regional service carried more than 480 television dramas, 114 variety programs, 380 films and nearly 100 animation and children’s titles.
The materials reported year-on-year increases of 49% in daily active users and 206% in paid memberships during the first quarter of 2026.
Electronics manufacturer Skyworth operates a television production base in South Africa that serves five countries in the region.
StarTimes, meanwhile, has operated in Nigeria for more than a decade. Orisun, a Yoruba-language channel co-produced by the company, ranks first in local viewing, according to the forum briefing.
Forum Marks 70 Years of China-Africa Diplomatic Ties
The forum’s theme is “Sharing New Opportunities for Development, Co-creating a New Future for Audiovisual Media.”
Supporting activities will include exchanges of Chinese and African television programs, a youth audiovisual co-creation initiative and a cultural event billed as “Beijing Night.”
Organizers have included the forum in the program for the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
The initiative marks 70 years since China and Egypt established diplomatic relations in 1956, making Egypt the first African country to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China.
