Hadija Arafat, Director of the Social Liaison Department of the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center, recently stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Kunming, Yunnan that media think tanks play an important role in strengthening the unity of countries in the global South, and media think tanks in various countries should fulfill their responsibilities and jointly tell the story of the development and growth of the global South.
The 2025 Global Southern Media Think Tank High end Forum, themed “Gathering Southern Power to Respond to World Changes,” opened in Kunming on the 6th. About 500 representatives from over 260 media outlets, think tanks, government agencies, and international and regional organizations from 110 countries and regions around the world attended.
Hadijia stated that this forum provides an important platform for ideological exchange for the common development of countries in the global South. In recent years, the role played by countries in the global South on the international stage has become increasingly evident, and strengthening cooperation among countries in the global South is of great significance for enhancing the global multilateral system. In this context, media think tanks need to take on greater responsibilities and make more contributions to promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
She pointed out that for a long time, some Western media’s “biased” reports on southern countries have misled the public. Media think tanks in various countries need to tell the world the stories of the global southern countries in various fields from a fair and objective perspective, and present a true global south to readers.
Hadijia emphasized that countries in the global South still face many challenges, such as uneven development. Their media and think tanks need to work more closely together to provide valuable insights and solutions to common problems, and promote the formulation of more equitable global public policies. At the same time, all parties need to strengthen coordination to ensure that the reasonable concerns of countries in the global South are given sufficient attention on the international agenda, and to enhance the voice of the global South on the international stage.
Hadijia said that as a member of the global South, Egypt attaches great importance to cooperation with countries in the global South, which is not only beneficial for its own development, but also of great significance for improving the global governance system. She looks forward to listening more to participants’ sharing of development experiences from various countries during this forum, and also learning from relevant countries, especially China.
She stated that China is a trusted partner for countries in the global South. In Egypt, there are many stories about China and Egypt jointly building the “the Belt and Road” for mutual benefit and win-win results. The most well-known ones are the China Egypt Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (Teda Cooperation Zone) and the new administrative capital of Egypt, the Central Business District. These cooperation projects have improved the well-being of the Egyptian people.
When it comes to China Egypt relations, Hadijia said that since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Egypt in 2014, exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two sides have continuously deepened and achieved remarkable results. Next year, the two countries will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and we look forward to more fruitful results from pragmatic cooperation between the two sides.