Media to bridge coastal cities around the world

Seven media workers pressed start buttons on a screen in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Mar 2, announcing the launch of a cross-media journalism campaign which will link 15 coastal cities around the world.

The journalism campaign, which is slated to run until the end of this year, is part of the city's efforts to strive toward becoming a modern coastal metropolis and promote mutual communication between coastal cities around the world.

During the event, activities will be held in 15 cities, including Ningbo, Shanghai, Hamburg in Germany, Osaka in Japan, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, including interviews, exchange visits and cross-media reporting.

About 1,000 media organizations will participate in the campaign and the coverage is expected to reach hundreds of millions of viewers.

At the launch ceremony, officials, scholars and media workers around the world shared their views on the event as well as the city's goals through videos.

Peter Thomson, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Ocean, stated in a video speech coastal cities are critical to preserving the well-being of the ocean, must participate in the renewable energy revolution, and live in peace with nature.

Thomson said he hopes Ningbo can serve as an example in this regard and be part of a movement around the world to restore the human-ocean relationship to one of respect and balance. He also expects Ningbo Zhoushan Port to be a pioneer in the decarbonization of shipping.

Thomson added this journalism campaign shows Ningbo has been engaged in the efforts.

Italian art historian Stefano Casciu, regional director of the museums of Tuscany in Italy, said he is interested in the event which creates a strong bond between two cities and he hopes such activities will continue in the future.

"We will continue to follow Ningbo's story and support the city as it further embraces the world," said Shi Xiaofeng, assistant to the Asia-Pacific Division Chief of China Daily.

Ningbo has been on the fast track for development in recent years.

Ningbo's gross domestic product increased from 1.01466 trillion yuan ($156.1 billion) in 2017 to 1.45949 trillion yuan in 2021, while its fiscal revenue jumped from 241.58 billion yuan to 326.44 billion yuan over the same period. Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 1.224 billion metric tons of cargo in 2021, topping global rankings for the 13th straight year.

According to a recent report delivered by Peng Jiaxue, Party chief of Ningbo, at the 14th CPC Ningbo Municipal Congress, the city will build itself into a modern coastal metropolis by improving its innovation capability, openness, urban construction, resident civility, common prosperity and social governance in the next five years.