CGTN launches state-of-the-art news center

China Global Television Network opened a state-of-the-art news center on Tuesday to provide better coverage for a global audience.

The CGTN app for Android and Apple users was also upgraded with a new interface and additions, such as customized news and live broadcasts, covering selected CGTN programs about domestic and world politics, economics, technology and culture.

The news center, based on a self-designed cloud computing system, pools information to reporters and editors by monitoring information and breaking news from 25,000 media and 70 national news agencies around the world.

Developed as a full-media platform, the news center makes new media development its priority and applies state-of-the-art technology, including 3-D, augmented reality and virtual reality, to video production and live reports.

It also coordinates between the Beijing headquarters and broadcast centers in Africa and North America and its news bureaus across the world.

"The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China attaches great importance to the newly founded CGTN news center. The establishment of the news center marks a new stage for its development in international communication," said Nie Chenxi, director of China Central Television, the State broadcaster.

CGTN was launched by CCTV on Dec 31 with a mission to merge traditional news reporting methods and new media.

In addition to its flagship English channel, CGTN also offers channels in Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian. Real-time and spontaneous interpretation services are also offered to audiences during live broadcasts.

Cheng Si contributed to this story.