More than one hundred journalists from around the world are in Beijing for the 2026 Second Half-Year Programme of the China International Press Communication Center.
Coming from more than 90 countries across six regions, journalists will spend the next four months learning, reporting and experiencing China beyond what they know from a distance.
The international media exchange programme started in 2014 with just nine journalists from Africa.
More than a decade later, it has grown into a global programme, with the 2026 intake being its largest so far.
During their stay, journalists will travel to different parts of China, meet local communities and learn more about the country's culture, diplomacy, trade, development and investment opportunities.
They will also attend classes and seminars and spend time gaining practical experience at some of China's leading media organisations.
Speaking at the event, Yu Lei, the Director of the China International Press Communication Centre, stated, "Our main objective is to promote practical cooperation between media organisations in China and those from developing countries. Most of the participants in the programme come from developing countries."
Since the establishment of the programme, we have received more than 1,000 journalists from 151 countries.
This year, we separated the programme into two intakes. We are now hosting the second intake of the year, which brings together a group of more than 90 journalists.
Namibia is also represented by a journalist from the national broadcaster.
For the journalists, the next four months will be an opportunity to see China for themselves, engage with its people and institutions, and take those stories back to audiences in their respective countries.
Professor Yan Yan, the Associate Dean of the School of Journalism at the Renmin University of China, highlighted, "
In this coming semester, we will organise opportunities for you to talk to faculty members and students. This gives you an opportunity to share your experiences with our students."