From Uganda to Beijing: Announcing New Vision-CGTN podcasts partnership

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When I first arrived in China, I never imagined that months later, New Vision would be collaborating with China Global Television Network (CGTN) to share African stories on a larger scale.

The two have entered a new partnership involving content sharing and co-producing podcasts across platforms.

“Our major benefit from this should be content sharing and not necessarily monetary. CGTN has a lot of content that would benefit us online, on TV, and in print,” Barbara Kaija, Editor-in-Chief, New Vision.

I am featuring on CGTN’s podcast Takeaway Chinese, sharing my experiences learning Mandarin, impressions of China, and reflections on Africa-China relations. It is one of the first steps in this collaboration.

Ma Jing, CGTN journalist and initiator of the collaboration, emphasised the mutual understanding behind the partnership, “We see this as more than content exchange, it’s about fostering dialogue between media platforms that serve very different yet interconnected audiences.”

This collaboration also opens doors for both CGTN and New Vision Podcasts to access each other’s archives and co-create special episodes around major cultural events. Additionally, the partnership will leverage the All Media Service Platform (AMSP), a free multimedia distribution platform launched in 2022, which provides diverse, multilingual content and allows global media partners to share and access news, documentaries, podcasts, and more.

My journey in China

What does it mean for a Ugandan journalist from Kampala to experience China's vision for the Global South firsthand? I found out when I became Mèng Zhēnzhēn, 'the most precious girl'.

When I was filling out the visa forms at the People’s Republic of China embassy in Kampala, a section asked whether I had a Chinese name. Strange, I thought, but later I was given a Chinese name during the program. Chinese people too often adopt English names to make interaction easier.

The slightest idea I had about the Chinese language was ‘ni hao’, but would it help me much? I asked myself as I headed to the airport on the afternoon of Saturday, August 31, 2024, to catch the flight to Beijing.

Two months prior, when I learned that Vision Group had selected me to attend the Dongfang Scholarship program in China, I was surprised, even though I put myself forward for the opportunity. It was huge. My family was very happy.

Suddenly, I was a multimedia producer filling visa forms, meeting embassy officials, attending online orientations with the Dongfang secretariat and setting up the podcasts unit to remain on until I complete the two months of Chinese Governance course at Peking University.

I promised the editor in chief, Barbara Kaija, that I’d deliver as usual while away, so there was no need for someone to sit in. But the program was very tight and engaging, and I only managed to produce and present the live vision podcast on Tuesdays from 1am Beijing time, which is 8pm East Africa time. Once I slept off as the discussion came to an end, and most times I would struggle with sleep, having spent the day attending lectures or going to field visits.

We landed at the Daxing International Airport in Beijing on Sunday afternoon. I was exhausted and excited at the same time. Going about the state-of-the-art ‘starfish’ airport was an experience in itself. The architecture, technology, and environment were nothing I’d seen before. Its design, seen from above, is the shape of a starfish. Upon completion of its construction in 2019, it was reported that the single-building terminal would handle 72 million passengers annually, making it the largest in the world.

The airport handles hundreds of thousands of passengers every day, yet with the setup of the terminals, there was no commotion or noise like you’d expect in many international airports.

Soft power and the internet of things

Several African government officials and leaders, along with their security details, were also arriving, just in time for the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). At the forum, which opened on September 4, President Xi Jinping highlighted China’s commitment to partnership and friendship, including through cultural exchanges like what is offered in the Dongfang scholarship program.

I felt how seriously and respectfully the Chinese treated visitors. I noticed how careful and advanced they are in ensuring security. I experienced ease and organisation as I went through migration and then picked up my baggage.

Here, I began to feel China’s soft power, and how it builds influence while shaping partnerships.

I was in touch with a translator and guide, Hu Mingwei (we called him by his English name Michael), who would work with us throughout the course. He had assigned a driver to pick us up and take us to the hotel.

A few minutes before Ansumane Sambu from Guinea-Bissau, Mahdi from Algeria, and I converged, I bought Renminbi (Chinese yuan) at the forex exchange automated teller machine.

Money transfers in China are carefully monitored, and outside the airport, you would have to go through a process in the banking hall for an exchange, let alone remitting or receiving money from Uganda, and most Visa cards from the regional banks don’t work.

We set off for the Haidian district, where Peking University is located and just across the road, Global Village, where we stayed for the duration of the course. It’s 63km away.

Silk roads, as we hear about them, are actually silky. Smooth. Millions of cars are driven in Beijing, but the traffic management system ensures that traffic flow is good. On the ring roads, different vehicle categories are marked and driven at specific times and on different days of the week. Vehicles from other regions must have a permit to be driven in Beijing.

While roads teemed with traffic, getting around for short distances was surprisingly easy.

I had taken years without riding a bicycle. In Kampala, where we get around driving mostly, it can be hectic to hop to places, but in China, you can cycle a few kilometres for less than a dollar. They’re all e-bikes, which you pay for through WeChat or the several payment platforms available.

50 participants from 50 global south countries attended the “high-profile program” over the next two months. From police commanders, presidential advisors, ministers and members of parliament to heads of government agencies. It was a mix of experiences to be shared and a host of ideas to learn.

From Brazil, Tiago Almeida, a medical doctor attached to the ruling party, explained how idle land there is taken forcefully by a movement and redistributed to small farmers, but the issue is the subject of a “heated debate as not all Brazilians agree with the approach.”

China-Africa relations

I have an idea of what China is doing in São Tomé and Príncipe because of my new friend Calisto Nascimento, whom I met during the program.

The first few days we had met as a cohort, made friends, settled into cliques, and
familiarised ourselves with the campus. The surroundings are impressive, there are green alleys and areas to relax, a running track around the lake without a name, yes, Weiming Lake, which together with the pagoda (tiered tower) as its backdrop form a stunning landmark of the university.

It sits on 680 acres (PKU news), or the size of 427 football pitches.

Peking University is considered the oldest national university in China, founded in 1898. It’s popularly and even dearly referred to as ‘Beida’. It’s prestigious, “each year there are more than 4,000 high school graduates competing for the Entrance Examination, but not more than 300 are luckily admitted,” PKU News.

Chinese themselves would be startled when you mention you’re at Peking University.

When the Times Higher Education rankings were released in August, Peking ranked 13th, right behind Tsinghua University, which was 12th. But the world-class professors told us they’re optimistic and confident that Peking would rise to the top of the rankings in the next few years.

A Chinese calligraphy class at Peking University.

Making mooncakes during mid-autumn festival.

China is 39 times the size of Uganda, with 1.4 billion people.

We were lucky to experience the sides of this country that make it a leader in the world. From the rich historical background to a fast-growing economy, technological advancement, ecosystem and culture.

I saw the strides they have made to balance advancement and environmental sustainability. In pockets of Beijing, there are trees growing, rivers or streams flowing, and plastics are being recycled. This wasn’t the Beijing we watched in the news a few years ago, choking on pollutants from industries. The air is clean, traffic is controlled, and automation has made life much easier for everyone.

I never had to use cash a single day while getting around; my transactions were always on the WeChat app, which integrates banking and security services perfectly.

Chinese governance

The whole idea was to learn by seeing and experiencing Chinese governance. In class, we were taught perspectives on Chinese politics, diplomacy, economy, religion, and sports.

As I learned, it takes a lot of courage and determination to be a leader in China. One is groomed from childhood. To be a representative in the People’s Congress, that journey is mapped from your early school years. You take leadership lessons and positions throughout your education, and a strong, personal, multifaceted foundation is your ticket to leadership. You will take up volunteer work during school breaks in very poor and hard to reach areas as well as in urban settings. You’ll have a track record of upholding integrity and tenacity in your work and have zero tolerance for corruption.

So, most times, a leader in China, or a member of the Communist Party of China, is already moulded by the parameters, trusted to drive an agenda for the people.

A very small percentage of Chinese practice religion. In fact, members of the CPC are not affiliated with any faith. But one is free to practice what they wish.

Our visits to different areas, including the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, and the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng city, drew for us a picture weaving ancient, imperial and modern China.

Raziah along the Great Wall of China in Beijing. (Photo by Raziah Athman)

It was always funny that rural Chinese who came to tour these sites were amazed by our dark complexion. Many have never seen or been close to a dark-skinned person before. They would engulf you, taking photos endlessly until a guide whisked you away.

We went to the BYD Auto plant in Zhengzhou, a car maker that has since shifted focus to electric vehicles. We explored the M-Grass Ecology and Environment Group in Hohhot, where grass seed production is helping heal grasslands that have suffered degradation.

The countryside

We spent a few days in Inner Mongolia, one of the five autonomous regions of China. For Guangxi, Xinjiang, Ningxia and Tibet, we were only taught about and from the lectures, we prayed for luck to visit these areas where traditions and technology blend to counter modern development challenges.

I wondered why China would align itself with us, global south countries today, even after its rapid growth. Why spend so much money on building friendships? Its own rough times in the past are the realities of many of the global south countries it’s aligning with.

The answer is in the win-win cooperation, which proves that there is indeed strength in fair and respectful collaboration.

Several approaches to development are already in place in Uganda, which, in China, have had tremendous success. As the government is campaigning to mechanise agriculture, in several parts of China, this has already lifted millions out of poverty.

The key lesson for global south countries could be prioritising state-led development and putting emphasis on a combination of targeted policies, investment in human capital, and a focus on social harmony.

I admire this global powerhouse’s achievements. Many people do. But, there are others who criticise its political system.

Narratives against China often emphasise concerns about authoritarianism, lack of transparency, and geopolitical ambitions, painting a picture of a nation striving for dominance rather than cooperation.

This is a question I posed to a professor, and he responded that the results of China’s methods will be the judge.

Not to say that there is literally no poor person in the country. There is. As much as China strives to provide access to healthcare and education, we saw farmers and interacted with Chinese who are not educated.

Their strength is in good health, ageing gracefully.

According to CEIC, China's GDP per capita reached 13,306.173 dollars in 2024.

A forbidden city that isn’t forbidden anymore

In the Forbidden City, Beijing, the parks can be full of elderly people walking in the evenings. But also, on Thursdays, one could get hitched. It’s the matchmaking day, when you can exchange your details for the possibility of finding a lifelong match.

None of us met a Chinese match (laughs), but we made what I trust will be long-lasting friendships and connections.

Dongfang scholars.

To prove our integration, understanding of Chinese culture, and governance, a few of us performed the popular ‘jasmine flower’ song on graduation day, October 31, 2024. Lakeyia Joseph from Dominica recited a poem, and Rinah Talu from Kenya gave a speech. It all resonated with the spirit of enlightenment that fans a friendship between countries.

One professor, during his last session with us, humbly appreciated the opportunity to lecture Dongfang Scholars, saying our countries and China were in a ship and it is a “friendship”. It is a bond built not on dominance but shared dreams for a better future.