Nairobi, Kenya – Guided by the National Radio and Television Administration of China and the People’s Government of Hubei Province, and jointly hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee and the Hubei Media Group, Seeing China· Hubei Media Week in Africa officially opened in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 26 local time.
Agnes Kalekye Nguna, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation; Jane Kinyanjui, Assistant Director General of the Communications Authority of Kenya; Tang Jianjun, Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya; and Luo Yabo, Director of the TV Drama Department of the Hubei Media Group, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. More than 130 representatives from China Media Group Africa, China Daily Africa, Hubei’s broadcasting, online audiovisual, press and publishing industries, the Kenya Film Commission, the Kenya Publishers Association, and Kenya’s film, television, publishing and media sectors also took part.
In his welcome remarks, Luo Yabo said that 2026 marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. He noted that the event is both a practical step in advancing the China-Kenya community with a shared future and an important platform for deepening cultural cooperation between Hubei and Kenya. Hubei has long carried out broad cooperation with African countries in trade, culture, education and technology, with increasingly fruitful results. Luo said Hubei looks forward to using the Media Week platform to pursue deeper, more practical cooperation with Kenyan industry partners and to achieve mutual benefit.
Agnes Kalekye Nguna said the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation has continued to promote the longstanding friendship between Africa and China. Its programming covers fields including infrastructure, trade and education, with the aim of presenting a real and comprehensive picture of China to Kenyan audiences. At the same time, Kenya’s culture, daily life and social landscape have been introduced to Chinese audiences through audiovisual works. She said KBC looks forward to further practical cooperation in cultural exchange, capacity building and joint communication platforms, and will continue to serve as a strong bridge for Africa-China friendship and cooperation.
Jane Kinyanjui said Hubei has a rich cultural heritage and a dynamic media industry, while Kenya has a fast-growing audiovisual, entertainment and publishing sector. She expressed hope that the event would bring together the strengths of both sides and create win-win opportunities for institutions, professionals and audiences in Kenya and China. The Communications Authority of Kenya, she said, is ready to maintain communication with Chinese partners and pursue broader cooperation in audiovisual content exchange, professional media technology and the development of trusted media platforms.
Tang Jianjun said China and Kenya are true friends, good partners and close brothers. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral relations have continued to improve and are moving into a new stage of building a China-Kenya community with a shared future in the new era. He noted that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and Africa and is also the agreed China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Seeing China· Hubei Media Week in Africa, he said, is an important activity under that framework and will play a positive role in promoting friendship between China and Kenya and between China and Africa.
Audiovisual showcases build a bridge for civilizational exchange
During the opening ceremony, guests from China and Kenya jointly launched Seeing China· Hubei Media Week in Africa. A selection of high-quality documentaries produced by Hubei Media Group and Wuhan Broadcasting and Television Station, highlighting traditional Chinese culture, ecological civilization and technological development, will be screened and broadcast in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and other countries.
Industry presentations expand space for audiovisual cooperation
Hubei Media Group, Hubei Yangtze River Film Group, Hubei Science and Technology Press, and Wuhan Boruntong Culture Technology Co., Ltd. delivered focused presentations on audiovisual co-creation, program distribution, copyright cooperation, film and television production and related fields, jointly advancing coordinated development of the China-Africa audiovisual industry. A number of cooperation agreements between Chinese and Kenyan institutions were signed at the opening ceremony.
Exhibition presents Hubei’s development achievements
The event also featured a Jingchu Audiovisual Excellence Exhibition, with themed areas covering radio and television, press and publishing, film and animation, audiovisual technology, cultural and creative IP, and people-to-people exchange. The exhibition displayed 468 items from 43 Hubei media institutions, including premium film and television programs, technology applications, film and television derivatives, books, intangible cultural heritage products and cultural creative works.
About Hubei Media Week
Seeing China: Hubei Media Week in Africa serves China’s overall diplomatic agenda and, during the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, advances the China-Africa Radio and Television Audiovisual Innovation Cooperation Plan. With the theme “Sharing, Exchange, Cooperation and Innovation,” the event includes broadcasting, film and television, online audiovisual, press and publishing screenings, exhibitions and sales, industrial cooperation, cultural interaction and people-to-people exchange activities. It aims to showcase the charm of Jingchu culture and tell China’s stories well.
The Hubei Media Group has continued to strengthen its international communication system and cultivate Hubei Media Week as an overseas cultural brand. Since 2016, Hubei Media Week has been held ten times in 19 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. It has facilitated more than 100 international cultural exchange and cooperation projects, and has helped bring more than 100 outstanding films, television dramas and programs to audiences in countries including Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, the United States, Russia, France and the United Kingdom, strengthening the international communication and influence of Jingchu culture.
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