China Daily launches US edition

Posted by Alisa Zykova on February 24, 2009 at 12:57 PM

China's state-funded English-language newspaper China Daily has launched a U.S. edition that will offer coverage of "local events related to China," chinaview.cn wrote. The edition will also feature analysis and opinions from contributors in the US and China.

The Chinese government previously announced plans that it would be developing the country's presence across global media in order to "improve China's image with foreign viewers," an initiative that included a US$6.6 billion investment.

"It is our responsibility to our readers to do on-the-ground reporting here in America," said the title's Deputy Editor-in-Chief Qu Yingpu. "We also see it as part of our social responsibility to promote common understanding among people engaged in the two economies."

Qu also mentioned that while China Daily has been publishing in the US since 1983, this is the first time that the paper is producing an issue targeted towards an American audience in particular.

The Global Times, owned by national newspaper The People's Daily, intends to launch an English edition in May, a move that may make it the second largest English-language paper.

"It has become an urgent strategic task for us to make our communication capability match our international status," said Propaganda Department Chief Liu Yunshan.

China Daily publishes a Hong Kong edition, China Business Weekly, Beijing Weekend, Shanghai Star, 21st Century and China Daily CEO Roundtable. According to chinaview.cn, the paper has an international readership of 300,000.

Source: chinaview.cn