Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with the team at CCTV America as part of a research and fact-finding mission on China’s main state media organizations.

Xi spoke to the team in Washington, D.C. via video call from China Central Television’s main headquarters in Beijing.

He also visited the People’s Daily and the Xinhua News Agency

Xi visited CCTV, China’s state broadcaster at 11:15 a.m Beijing time. While standing in CCTV’s master control center, Xi sent his greetings and best wishes to the staff members of CCTV America.

Ninety percent of CCTV America’s staff members are from countries other than China. 

During the video conference with Ma Jing, the Director General of CCTV America, Xi said he hopes the CCTV America team can “objectively, truly and comprehensively introduce China’s social and economic development to the world audience.”

CCTV America Director General Ma Jing speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via video call surrounded by newsroom staffers.

He then visited the studio and the control room of the “CCTV Evening News Bulletin,” which has aired on CCTV for the past 38 years. Xi saw how the program ran and encouraged the staff to do better.

Xi arrived at People’s Daily, thought to be the most influential and authoritative newspaper in China, at 8:40 a.m. He met with the editorial and technical staff in the People’s Daily’s newsroom.

Xi asked them about the workflow of newspaper editing and encouraged them to keep improving and seeking excellence. He then sent his best wishes via an audio clip for the upcoming Lantern Festival during his visit to the People’s Daily’s new media center.

Xi also visited the Xinhua News Agency headquarters, China’s national news agency, at 10 a.m. At the news center, he clicked “like” on a news article which praised the nation’s journalists.

It is Xi’s second visit to media in only two months. On December 25th of 2015, Xi paid visit to PLA Daily where he highlighted the development of combining traditional media with new digital media.

President Xi also has previously talked about promoting China’s cultural soft power of which the media industry is thought to be a major component.

President Xi visits studio of CCTV Evening News Bulletin

President Xi Jinping visited the studio of CCTV’s flagship program, “CCTV Evening News Bulletin,” and sat in the anchor’s chair on Friday morning during his visit to the state broadcaster.

President Xi Jinping visits CCTV newsroom

President Xi Jinping visited the studio of “CCTV Evening News Bulletin,” which has aired on CCTV for the past 38 years. Xi witnessed how the program ran and encouraged the staff to do better. He also made a video call with Washington,D.C.-based CCTV America.

Story compiled with information from CCTV News.