Peng Shujie

(Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Xinhua News Agency)

Author

Peng Shujie is Deputy Editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency. Peng started to work for Xinhua in July 1989 and was a visiting scholar to the U.S. Freedom Forum in 1994. He has served successively as a reporter, Deputy Director of Xinhua’s Politics and Culture Newsroom, and as both Deputy Director and Director of the agency’s Central and International Affairs Newsroom. Mr. Peng is also Editor-in-chief of Business World. In November 2000, he was appointed Assistant Editor-in-chief of Xinhua; in December 2003, he rose to the position of Deputy Editor-in-chief of Xinhua; and in January 2009, he held an additional post as Director of the International Affairs Newsroom. Mr. Peng has participated in every major news event taking place following the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee. Mr. Peng has also been a recipient of the State Council Special Allowance. He was selected as one of the leading figures in the Chinese press and publishing industry in 2010. He studied at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University in June 2013.

Abstract

During his state visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the grand vision of developing an economic belt along the ancient Silk Road. The initiative bears tremendous significance both for China and for the region and the world at large as it will not only further boost the socioeconomic development in China’s western region, but also help promote regional development and stability and foster a more balanced global growth. The mass media, as an integral and influential part of society, shoulders an inherent and inescapable duty to contribute to the historic project. Given the nature and advantages of their profession, media organizations can play the quadruple role of promulgator, interpreter, adviser and partaker. Firstly, the media should bring into full play its function as a generator of social consensus, intensifying the publicity and explanation of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative so as to help the domestic public fully and accurately understand what it is and why it should be built. In view of the surging popularity of social networks and smart-phone apps, the media organizations should employ both traditional and new media platforms to maximize the reach and gather as much public support as possible. Secondly, the media should perform its role in elucidating the project to the international community. It should endeavor to reshape the international discourse and convince the world of the global significance of the initiative. Thirdly, in view of the vast intellectual resources it can mobilize, the media should serve as a think tank by carrying out in-depth research on the subject and providing public policy-makers with constructive and practical advice on how to build the Silk Road Economic Belt. Fourthly, media institutions in different countries along the Silk Road should actively participate in the construction process. They can beef up exchanges and cooperation and build up a Silk Road Media Belt to enrich the Economic Belt initiative.