Peking University, Sept. 7, 2017: The 4th annual Sino-U.S. Media Forum on the theme of "Media, Culture and Soft Power: Building a Global-Local Bridge in the Digital Age" was held in Honolulu on August 14, 2017.
This 4th Forum was co-sponsored by the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa School of Communications, Peking University School of Journalism and Communication and the East-West Center. It brought together scholars, media practitioners and foreign policy specialists from China and Hawai'i to examine the impact of social media and digital content on our understanding of the truth, how this shapes China-U.S. relations and how to leverage media to promote mutual understanding between two peoples and nations.
4th Annual Sino-U.S. Media Forum
East-West Center President Richard R. Vuylsteke delivering a welcome speech
University of Hawai`i at Mānoa College of Social Sciences Dean Denise Konan welcoming participants
Former Peking University School of Journalism and Communication Executive Dean Gong Wenxiang
the 4th Sino-US Media Forum Chairperson Ann Auman of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa School of Communications welcoming forum participants
Peking University Associate Professor and Sino-US Media Forum co-founder He Shu speaking on "Cross-cultural Communication in the Era of Media Integration”
University of Hawai'i at Manoa School of Communications Department Chair Gerald Kato welcoming participants
Gong Wenxiang presenting a gift to Dr. Richard R. Vuylsteke
The 4th Forum was divided into one plenary and two sessions in the morning and one media roundtable in the afternoon. The plenary featured two keynote speeches delivered by Tian Wei, China Global Television anchor, and Jaime FlorCruz, former CNN Bureau Chief in Beijing and Peking University Adjunct Professor. Tian Wei spoke on "More Flowers but Better Spring". Based on his own experience of more than 40 years of reporting in China, Jaime FlorCruz talked about reflections on U.S.-China Relations and Media.
Tian Wei
Jaime FlorCruz
Session 1, focused on “Soft Power: Media & U.S.-China relations”, was moderated by Professor Ann Auman and joined by panelists Charles B. Salmon Jr., Professor Hu Yong, Jeffrey Lau, and Professor Shi Zengzhi. East-West Center Adjunct Senior Fellow and former US Ambassador Charles B. Salmon Jr. addressed on "Security, Soft Power and Communication in the Asia Pacific Region." Peking University Professor Hu Yong spoke on China’s social media scene. Honolulu attorney and former Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i President Jeffrey Lau gave a personal overview of “Progress in U.S.-China Relations through Communication.” Peking University Professor Shi Zengzhi spoke on "New Media, Empowerment and Self-Communication in Contemporary China”.
Charles B. Salmon Jr.
Hu Yong
Jeffrey Lau
Shi Zengzhi
Session 2 paid special attention to “the changing Media Environment and its Impact on Global Communication”. It was moderated by Ji Young Kim, assistant professor at UHM School of Communication and consisted of panelists Professor Gong Wenxiang, Maya Soetoro-Ng, Associate Professor Wang Xiaojun, Associate Professor He Shu and Susan Kreifels.
Maya Soetoro-Ng, director of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Spark Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution spoke on "Strategies for Peaceful Cross-Cultural Communication." University of Hawai'i Associate Professor of Economics Wang Xiaojun spoke on "Sino-US Trade and Presidential Elections: Should We Believe What Politicians Say?” East-West Center Media Programs Manager Susan Kreifels spoke on outcomes and lessons learned from the Center's 50 years of professional development programs for journalists.
Maya Soetoro-Ng
Wang Xiaojun
Susan Kreifels
The roundtable panel in the afternoon is of Honolulu journalists on the topic of "Mainstream Media, Social Media and the Quest for Truth."
Honolulu journalists in the roundtable panel
The Sino-U.S. Media Forum was first launched in Beijing on October 27, 2013, at Peking University, which marked the beginning of so far 4 years of rotating and productive relationship between the Peking University School of Journalism and Communication and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Communications. The 5th Sino-US Media Forum will be held at Peking University in 2018, which coincides with the 120th Anniversary of Peking University.
Reported by: Shen Zhou
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Photos credit: East-West Center
