On 21 October 2025, Chinese Embassy in Cyprus held the Opening Ceremony and Welcome Reception of the China-Cyprus-Europe Media Forum. The following is the full text of Ambassador Liu Yantao’s Speech:

Director General of CyBC Thanasis Tsokos,  

Chief Executive Officer of Cyprus Mail Freda Yannitsas,

Deputy Director of CMG Europe Jiang Qiudi,  

Director of Xinhua News Agency Berlin Bureau Hu Xiaoming,

Vice President of Kuaishou Technology Liu Zhen,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Kalispera! Today, we gather here for the grand opening of the China-Cyprus-Europe Media Forum. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Cyprus, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all representatives from the media, government, academia, think tanks, and businesses. I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Forum’s co-organizers and supporting partners.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations, the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Next year, China and Cyprus will celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of our strategic partnership, while Cyprus will hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of the year.

These important milestones are not only markers of history’s evolution, but also tests of how we, standing at a new historical starting point, can shape a new future with the right attitude and wisdom. This concerns not only the future of China-Europe and China-Cyprus relations and the well-being of our peoples, but also the course of world history and the prospects of human progress.

Eighty years ago, reflecting deeply on the painful lessons of two world wars, the international community decided to establish the United Nations, opening a new chapter in global governance. Eighty years later, the world is once again facing turbulence and transformation. Multilateralism and the UN-centered international system are under severe strain, while unilateralism, protectionism, and the law of the jungle are gaining ground, worsening global governance challenges.

At this historic crossroads—between peace and war, cooperation and confrontation, win–win and zero-sum game—responsible peoples of all nations must draw lessons from history and, with a spirit of shared future and solidarity, stand firmly on the right side of history and human progress. We must be clear about what to uphold, what to embrace, and what to oppose. We need to commit ourselves to fostering common interests and building a community with a shared future for humanity. Not long ago, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative, providing a Chinese solution for promoting a fairer and more equitable global governance system.

In the face of global transformation and shared challenges, closer cooperation between China and Europe is of vital importance. China and Europe are two major forces for world peace, two major markets for shared development, and two great civilizations driving human progress. We are strategic partners with extensive common interests. The 50-year history of China-EU relations shows that exchange and cooperation have been the main thread, and consensus and mutual benefit the prevailing trend. The two sides are fully capable of properly handling differences and frictions.

Looking ahead, while the world is changing, the fundamental facts remain unchanged: cooperation between China and Europe far outweighs competition, consensus far outweighs differences, and opportunities far outweigh risks. And there is no change in the commitment of both sides to uphold multilateralism and open cooperation. So long as China and Europe choose dialogue and cooperation, bloc confrontation will not take shape; so long as we choose openness and mutual benefit, the tide of economic globalization will not be fundamentally reversed. By joining hands, China and Europe can not only achieve mutual success but also bring light to the world.

Importantly, China and Cyprus are good friends and good partners with shared principles and common interests. President Christodoulides recently stated that Cyprus takes great pride in the depth of cooperation with China, Cyprus’ commitment to the One China Policy remains a basic principle of its foreign policy, and Cyprus is firmly committed to promoting Cyprus-China and EU-China relations. Likewise, China attaches great importance to its relations with Cyprus and has long spoken up for Cyprus on the Cyprus problem. China is ready to work with Cyprus to make our strategic partnership a model of cooperation and to contribute further to the sound growth of China-EU relations.

Against this background, we have chosen the Forum’s theme “Era of Great Transformation: A Shared Future for Humanity－Deepening Media Exchanges and Cooperation, and Jointly Shaping a Bright Future for China-Cyprus and China-Europe Relations”. Discussions will be focused on three topics, i.e. “Media Interactions and Cooperation Boost the Development of China-Cyprus and China-Europe Relations”, “Media’s Shared Social and International Responsibilities in the Era of Great Transformation”, and “Media Development with AI Empowerment: Cooperation and Regulation”. Here, I would like to share with you three expectations:

First, be active builders of China-Cyprus and China-Europe relations. It is important to uphold openness and inclusiveness, oppose zero-sum games, and focus on explaining the broad consensus between our two sides on peace, development, and multilateralism. You are expected to comprehensively report our cooperation in global governance, climate change, and public health, and showcase the mutually beneficial achievements in economic and trade cooperation, thus fostering a favorable public opinion environment for the steady growth of China-Cyprus and China-Europe relations.

Second, be truthful, objective, and reasonable recorders of our times. The media must shoulder their social responsibility by faithfully reflecting the development and realities of their own countries and regions, so as to enhance mutual understanding and trust among peoples. Journalists need to uphold professional ethics, safeguard a clean and healthy international communication environment, build bridges for cross-cultural dialogue, and create broader space for mutual learning among civilizations.

Third, be strong pioneers in AI-powered media development. You are expected to embrace technological advances and actively explore the application of AI in the media field, so as to continuously improve media productivity and communication capacity. At the same time, it is important to guide technological development in line with journalistic ethics and safety standards, so as to ensure that AI is for good, controllable, and rules-based. It is also vital to strengthen cooperation, so as to build an open, secure, and trustworthy intelligent media ecosystem.

Dear friends,

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “Words spoken with one heart are as fragrant as orchids.” It is hoped that this Forum will be a new starting point for continued dialogue, deeper cooperation, and stronger storytelling — telling well the stories of China-Cyprus friendship, China-Europe cooperation, and world peace and development. Let us work together to open a new chapter of China-Cyprus and China-Europe media cooperation, and contribute media strength to building a fairer and more equitable global governance system and a community with a shared future for humanity. Thank you.