China Daily - An essential link between China and the world

Launched in 1981, China Daily celebrated its 37th birthday this year. It has been able to gain popularity not only in China but among international audiences during the span of 37 years. News media and journalism now have begun to feel the challenges posed by an increasingly digital, mobile and social media environment, exacerbated more by people’s lack of interest and time to read anything, leaving aside newspapers. However, newspapers can still survive through specialist journalism as long as newspaper journalists are competent enough to convince the public that it is still a service people value and think they can’t get elsewhere. This is exactly what China Daily is engaged in and there lies the secret for its popularity, not only within China but even on a global scale.

China has the distinction of inventing paper and the introduction of the printing industry to the world. Paper was invented around 105 AD, by Ts’ai Lun, who was the first to start a papermaking industry. Paper was discovered as a medium for writing and again the distinction of discovering the first block printing method goes to China. The launch of China Daily could be considered a notable landmark in such an illustrious history of printing and publishing in China. China Daily enjoys wide circulation in a number of foreign countries. It serves as a guide to Chinese government policy and is read by lots of people worldwide. The digital edition of China Daily, established in December 1995, was one of the first major online Chinese newspapers to enjoy a huge audience around the world.

As a journalist representing a foreign country, my interest in this newspaper is obvious. It is the only newspaper I have been able to lay my hands on from the time I landed in China. My daily perusal of the paper, my visit to the China Daily office and the positive accounts I read about the paper on the internet have resulted in my overwhelming impressions of the newspaper. The news media should view society from the top, obtain an all-encompassing view so it can sift the weeds from the seeds. China’s objectives are to develop the entire Asian region and is not confined only to the development within the country. This can be observed by any disinterested reader of China Daily.

This newspaper gives an insight into the daily happenings in China. It also serves as a record of an update of the latest information in China. Further, it is widely read by the most influential political and business decision-makers. This newspaper offers a unique local perspective that has become essential reading for foreign state visitors, Chinese university students, foreign journalists, tourists and representatives of foreign agencies.

China Daily offers a ringside view of the dynamic economic and social development underway in China. It offers an insight into the thinking and values of Chinese leaders and believes in giving impetus to the development drive in the country, serving as an example to news media in many developing countries. China Daily, working in collaboration with many foreign news agencies, has now come of age. “May you go from strength to strength providing the necessary impetus to the development of the country.” This is an earnest wish by a foreign journalist who believes in the integrity of news reporting.

I wish you good luck!

The author is a journalist and a book author from Sri Lanka.