By Lidia Fagale
News Director of Clavechina, Argentina
Under the motto “Promoting Civilizational Dialogues and Global Modernization with the Power of Journalists”, the forum compels me to reflect on the key concepts that converge in the general call, recreating once again conditions for thinking of ourselves as subjects who fulfill our task of reporting in a scenario crossed by multiple variables (technology, globalization, the complexity of modern society, geopolitical tensions, wars) that impose new and renewed challenges on us.
The Forum has always been a conducive space for reflection and reflection, an activity that is being halted in these times of narratives, wars, fake news, censorious over-information, and little reflection.
It is therefore essential to share professional and communication experiences that contribute to the construction of responses based on empirical evidence and concrete practice, as well as theoretical training, without neglecting the formulation of pertinent questions that arise from this complex global panorama, with its ups and downs. The general call itself raises three key concepts that deserve to be addressed first: the question of power, civilizational dialogue, and development. I dedicate a few lines as a contribution to defining common and shared premises in this space for reflection and debate, in a proactive sense.
Regarding “The Question of Power”: Your analysis is crucial for understanding the social, economic, and political dynamics that determine “a model of journalism.” The question surrounding journalism in the present century arises: Is it possible to build “power” within the field of 21st-century communication? Where do we locate the construction of power? Power resides in corporations and large communication technology companies. A scenario dominated globally from the West by large, highly concentrated media conglomerates that embrace the most advanced technological domains, social media, and the use of artificial intelligence as a source of information that impose global narratives, attempting to shut down the well-known investigative or critical journalism. There is data from international organizations that maintain that content production originating from artificial intelligence accounts for 60% of everything we read, watch, or hear, and within this percentage, fake news shapes content. Added to this is the digital divide, which affects vast sectors of society and autonomous projects that develop outside of traditional structures. Big Tech has found a fabulous business in war (Forbes Magazine, 2025) Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Treads has launched a direct offensive to integrate itself into the US war architecture. Mark Zuckerberg’s oligopoly has begun hiring former Pentagon agents and national security advisors to guide its ties with the state-military apparatus. Meta has justified, according to Forbes, this policy as a contribution to global democracy, in clear allusion to the competition with China. From a Marxist perspective, journalists can play an important role in building a model of multilateral, intercultural and open journalism under the new paradigms of the time, but our capacity is conditioned by the social and economic structure in which we carry out our work.
Being aware of our limitations and challenges is an imperative that continues to invite us to work in an organized way (the platform creates this condition) and collectively (the Forums are a favorable environment for this), as well as to get to know each other, establish personal relationships, and exchange training experiences and shared collective knowledge. We must always consider that no communication proposal is disconnected from the type of societies we aspire to and in which we live. It goes without saying, then, that every communication proposal is a political and ideological proposal, just like the ethical paradigms from which we begin in times when the ideas of truth, freedom, and conscience have become polysemic concepts.
In this sense, I maintain that one’s own communication experiences should be visualized and valued as an alternative to the construction and organization of the truth.
For this reason, I support my own project, albeit modest for such a task, called Clave China Noticias (China Key News) and a radio program that showcases China and the Global South in all their dimensions: political, economic, cooperative, and cultural in the broadest sense. Finding different ways to position ourselves, as press workers, to develop multilateral journalism, contribute to the dissemination, debate, and reflection of multilateral regional organizations (BRICS, CELAC-plus China, etc.), and showcase the different cultures that converge in the so-called GLOBAL SOUTH, their proposals, economic, cultural, developmental objectives, etc., is a priority task.
And we must tell ourselves that this is always a collective task at local, regional, and global levels. This platform of journalists is the starting point for this projection, which, on the one hand, places power in its true place and in its multiple facets and, on the other, does not renounce the articulation of actions, measures, and recommendations linked not only to technical but also to theoretical training, to deepen knowledge of the different disciplines that converge in the field of communication.
“Dialogue among Civilizations”, a global proposal launched by China and considered in the motto of the Call: Journalism must confront the walls that have been erected between human beings as a result of a world that has become an empire of chaos and that, in the name of a supposedly superior civilization and hegemonic pretensions, imposes its dominance on other theoretically inferior cultures. It is worth considering what Civilization means and how we interpret the term. In line with the essayist, researcher, art historian and university professor, the Argentine Gastón Burucua (from his book “Civilization. History of a Concept”), “the word civilization is bastardized because in the second half of the 19th century and during the 20th century, Europeans and the West took the term and raised it on the basis of a Eurocentric superiority, the colonialist nations of the 19th century used this word as a way to legitimize the dominance they imposed on those countries. Other peoples, other horizons, have had a concept prior to the one we (in the West) have coined and this implies stripping the idea of civilization of any idea of superiority” (…) “Chinese civilization achieved inner peace in the conglomerate of cultures that reach that social state and achieves the appeasement of disputes and the rejection of violence as a way of resolving differences,” Burucua points out. On the contrary, “the apotheosis of barbarism” occurs under the banner and in the name of civilization because the imperialist colonialist powers justified the seizure of territories and the subjugation of those populations to supposedly begin the path of civilization. (…) “The way of making the benefits of progress known to populations that were supposedly barbaric or savage – or of bringing them the supposed technical, health, and educational benefits: only resulted in enterprises of terrible servitude and domination in the name of civilization.” A war within itself, or outwardly, is a strongly decivilizing element, in the sense that it will weaken the peace that makes good trade between people possible and that it can lead to extremes of violence, as occurred during the First and Second World Wars. In his book, the essayist does not propose the theory of the “clash of civilizations,” which is why he “abhors” the book by American professor and political scientist Samuel Huntington: The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. The point is to insist that “we want there to be peace between nations and understanding between human beings, even if they have completely different cultural horizons,” says essayist Gastón Burucua.
In this sense, China’s Global Dialogue among Civilizations proposal is positioned as a difficult alternative – a product of geopolitical tensions and influenced by the alignment of local governments in Latin America with US hegemony or multilateral policies – as well as necessary and strategic, given that all dialogue among the cultures of different civilizations is placed above the political situations adverse to this proposal.
In Argentina’s case, China is one of its main trading partners, but, contradictorily, the cultural sector is not.
Creation in our country is being affected in all its aspects by the reduction of the national budget allocated to the cultural industry. Despite this, there are exchanges and cooperation agreements with China: From the academic field (multiple institutions, universities, research centers, state agencies), which contribute to science and technology (they are 40% of the total agreements), art such as cinema, where Ibero-American filmographies and, of course, Argentina compete in festivals, in the field of literature with exhibitions of Argentine writers, translation into Mandarin Chinese of Argentine literary works and vice versa (there are few Chinese literary works translated into Spanish and Argentine publishing houses are mired in a structural crisis due to the rising cost of inputs, paper and others, as well as the absence of a public policy for culture in general) ), dance, photography and video contests, singing, dance and music in various cultural exchanges, learning the Chinese language which every day has more students in Argentina, festivals, mainly those held in China of a cultural nature, broaden horizons and mutual knowledge of those who, through various forms of art, express their cultural uniqueness, both historically and contemporary, as well as sports. It would be very difficult to list the number of cooperation agreements between Chinese and Argentine institutions that have been signed for educational, technological, and cultural exchange. Even so, and as a suggestion, all this information sometimes becomes inaccessible and confusing; it requires a common communication space to report in a timely manner how and what are the paths to join the multiple and diverse exchange and cooperation policies signed between different institutions and organizations located in different geographical areas of Argentina and the People’s Republic of China.
Cultural Industries: Data from Argentina
Argentina, with its cultural wealth and internationally recognized talent, has a comparative advantage in positioning itself as a leading player in this field. However, it faces new challenges with difficulty. In recent decades, the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) have proven to be a strategic sector globally due to their ability to generate quality employment, foster innovation, strengthen local identities, and project countries on the international stage. Globally, they represent 3% of GDP, surpassing traditional sectors. In Latin America, they reach 2.2%, with growth driven by the digital economy. According to data from the Argentine Cultural Information System (SINCA) from 2024, the cultural sector’s share of the economy already surpasses sectors such as energy (1.1%) and automobile manufacturing (1.5%), consolidating its strategic importance. One of the most notable cases is the video game industry. However, in 2023, gross cultural value added represented only 1.84% of national GDP, a year-over-year decline of 0.8% (SINCA, 2024). This gap between potential and actual performance raises the need for robust public policies. Cultural industries are a key driver of development, and public cultural policy design capacities must be strengthened. International experience offers valuable examples. These models combine financing, tax incentives, early training, creative clusters, and public-private cooperation (Federal Investment Council report, June 2024). In the case of Argentina, despite the shortfalls caused by a lack of investment and support from the State and the scarce private investment in the sector, it is still necessary to promote international cooperation. The cultural and creative industries not only contribute economic figures. They are vehicles of social inclusion, regional development, and global projection.
Subnational trade agreements between Argentina and China: The case of Jiangxi Province
Subnational agreements between Chinese and Argentine provinces have increased significantly. For example, Jiangxi Province, the host of this Forum, is a prime example of these agreements with Argentine provinces. The Chinese province of Jiangxi has established relations with Argentine provinces, especially in the mining and energy sectors. A notable example is the agreement between Jiangxi and Salta Province. In September 2024, Jiangxi Province signed a letter of intent to deepen its cooperation with Salta, focusing on lithium and other mineral projects. Jiangxi-based Ganfeng Lithium controls lithium projects in Salta, such as the Mariana lithium-potassium brine project and the Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes project. Another notable initiative is investment in renewable energy. Catamarca Province has discussed with Zijin the improvement of the San Francisco Pass to facilitate lithium exports from the Chilean port of Coquimbo. Others, such as the energy cooperation agreement, where Power China financed four solar plants in Catamarca with a combined capacity of 600 megawatts. These agreements demonstrate the growing relationship between China and Argentina in key sectors such as mining and renewable energy. These agreements also apply to other Argentine provinces. However, getting to know Jiangxi not only through trade agreements, but also through its customs, history, landscapes, people, and history. It is true that, in the wake of these trade agreements, we first learned of its name, of its existence, and that it became an important cultural and literary center as early as the Tang Dynasty. We now know that famous poets and writers such as Wang Wei and Bai Juyi are part of the landscape of this province, sharing its beautiful gardens and temples. Tea and silk also characterize its production, along with its agricultural production. It was also an important center of the Chinese communist revolution, the stage for the Long March and a center of armed struggle against the Nationalist government. And since the revolution, it now produces copper and other minerals, making it one of China’s most important provinces. Amidst mountains and landscapes—Mountain Lu and Jinggang, many temples and the Lushan Botanical Garden—we learned about the face of this host province in order to deepen our friendship and cooperation, as well as to share this experience and give a name to realities and peoples that are not far away.
Political context in which the agreements with China are made
Argentina is currently experiencing a very particular political, ideological, and economic situation that is unprecedented in the country. It is promoting anti-statist policies and a drastic reduction of the State in strategic areas such as education, health, science and technology, pensions, and disability. The establishment of a government that defines itself as anarcho-capitalist, that publicly expresses the need to “hate journalism,” where the president defines himself as a mole within the State to destroy it and exemplifies this with a “chainsaw,” that advocates for a society that upholds right-wing values, that expresses contempt for the left, Marxism, communism, and progressivism, and that under that umbrella qualifies an entire ideological spectrum of a broad and diverse political matrix. Foreign policy follows the same course; it is a faithful copy of the ideological and political paradigms from which it departs and elaborates its concepts, actions, and ideas. In that sense, its position is with the United States and it has distanced itself from regional organizations, in addition to rejecting entry into the BRICS
The Butterfly’s Fluttering
Despite this, the sun cannot be hidden with one hand. And the fluttering of that butterfly coming from China stirs expectations that have been channeled despite the difficulties, beyond the current situation. While, we know, it’s not about copying models, China remains an example of economic and technological development and maintains a syncretism between its ancient and modern cultures that sometimes seems to employ the art of magic, where the State plans, take into account the 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan will be released soon.
And there is also another Argentina that is not defined by its government, given that today we must admit that liberal democracies have been in crisis for some time and their electoral systems express more the moods of the general population than definitive positions that are usually abandoned before a president’s term ends.
The other side of the moon
That other Argentina is the one that ratifies, for example, the exchange and cooperation agreements between the media (press), which have undoubtedly become a significant driving force in strengthening China-Argentina friendship, that is, combining the desire to increase mutual understanding with the deepening of needs and taking advantage of the benefits and energies derived from its reinforcement in order to consolidate relations between both nations. Undeniably, the above is an issue that the press of both parties must analyze and study as a historic mission. Argentine communicators recognize that strengthening journalistic ties, between information organizations, along and beyond the Belt and Road, will promote communication and mutual learning between media and reporters, as well as exchanges that enrich the understanding of the history and development of nations.
To achieve this, journalist organizations must assume responsibility for exchanges and collaborations in accordance with the spirit of the Silk Road: defend peace and cooperation through means of communication; encourage colleagues and media outlets, and participate. Furthermore, we must firmly defend and collaborate with the ideals of openness and inclusion, which seeks willingness and respect for different ideologies that respect human beings, social systems, ethnicities, and religious beliefs, with the goal of achieving shared development. As a result, the desire to prioritize mutual learning will be consolidated—that is, learning from each other and sharing professional training opportunities to improve journalistic skills. To this end, exchanges and seminars must be held so that a greater number of journalists have access to learning and progress, and the principle of shared growth is achieved through discussion and collaboration. It is evident that bilateral cooperation has broad prospects. China and Latin America are in the developing stage, share interests in progress, and enjoy high complementarity in cooperation. The parties can take advantage of this platform to strengthen their policy coordination, align development strategies, and deepen pragmatic cooperation, with a view to generating better results and development dividends for themselves and their peoples. Relations between Argentina and China are entering a new phase. We are at the starting point of bilateral relations and have the conditions to further strengthen our relations and our friendship.
The growing number of Chinese companies and individuals interested in investing and doing business with Argentina. Chinese and Argentine companies must invest in staff training, as only through professionalization can progress be achieved. More and more Chinese companies are investing in Argentina, and Chinese brands are becoming more recognized. All of the above attests to the continued development of the Sino-Argentine relationship.
This is a positive aspect, but it should not be overlooked that the country’s interior is not immune to large pockets of poverty, lack of investment, and unemployment. Therefore, legal uncertainty, combined with the social conflicts already present, often distorts overly positive views. This forces us, among other things, to take into account China’s success in combating poverty, among other successful initiatives.
This requires, as always, a detailed analysis of the social situation in each province. And today, the media in Argentina operate like economic groups, are highly ideologized, and adhere to the paradigms of a liberal philosophy often pierced by fake news or aggressive criticism of Chinese investment groups.
Journalism and geopolitics
Sources fed by artificial intelligence data, chatbots from Google or other North American companies, often provide false or manipulated information. We must understand that our region has become an area of geopolitical dispute by the United States, and the media and cultural mechanisms at its disposal accompany this dispute with narratives that often distort, omit, manipulate, or outright lie when it comes to policies linked to China or to regions of the world whose countries have been incorporated by the United States into the so-called axis of evil. The fact is that cooperation is only possible when there is understanding and exchange of experiences.
It’s no coincidence that, outside of traditional press or journalist organizations, many of us are developing independent projects in this limited setting, creating solidarity communication networks, creating portals, generating radio programs with the collaboration of journalists from the Global South. I can’t fail to mention the Clave China Noticias initiative, which currently has limited resources but a strong will to break the information blockade, bring together all actors from the Global South, and establish bridges of communication between different ways of understanding the world. And this initiative was based on the values and objectives of the platform and to foster dialogue between cultures. To showcase China to the countries that make up the Global South and to showcase the Global South to China.
This experience, although small in nature, in my opinion summarizes the empirical and practical version inspired by values, common histories, and the search for a shared horizon. In this sense, the multilateral nature of relations between journalists is not only socially necessary but also constitutes a self-sustaining collective that grows and promotes communication experiences under new paradigms. I am attending this transcendental forum, endorsed by the China National Journalists Association (CNJA), which undoubtedly contributes to the expansion of historical, cultural, technological, commercial, environmental, and other aspects of interest to Chinese and Latin American communicators. Furthermore, it has also increased reliable knowledge about the past and current advances. On the other hand, it is imperative to consider the necessary generational momentum, that is, to raise awareness and encourage young people to consider the benefits that can be achieved through exchange and mutual learning; these are extremely important aspects of the Belt and Road Journalists Cooperation Platform. I am aware that today’s journalism faces a dizzying evolution, a product of constantly changing technology, which has imposed new approaches and ways of thinking and working. Therefore, we remain ever-present in understanding the changing situations prevailing in our environment. It has become clear at this Forum that we must foster multilateralism in journalism, for which the platform and this collective space are conducive to stimulating the creation of other communication spaces. A phenomenon that characterizes Latin America is the creation of its own communication spaces in the face of the information blockade of traditional communication structures. The genealogy of Latin American communication attests to this. It is necessary to achieve a solid and effective unity, as established by our platform, because without it, it will be impossible to be effective in the social mission we perform.
We cannot ignore that this harmony is an irreplaceable basis for providing assurances that we fulfill the high responsibility of exercising our profession of reporting on acts and events that reflect the multipolarity and complexity of the world. And that journalists and communicators of the world are also willing to work with everyone to jointly plan for development and revitalization to build a shared future between China and LAC. In line with what was proposed at the IV CELAC plus China Forum, it has become clear to the author of these lines that beyond the adverse national situation Argentina is experiencing in consolidating a more friendly relationship with the People’s Republic of China at the level of its government, there is another Argentina that is increasingly looking eastward. Experiencing China, and today, Jiangxin in particular, opens up a renewed panorama that shows us that Latin America not only poses difficulties but also has all the potential to continue telling stories where the human being is paramount, whether they live in China or Argentina, or anywhere else in the world.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.