M'SIA AND CHINA TO EXPLORE WAYS TO PRODUCE BUSINESS NEWS AND TALK SHOWS

From Yong Soo Heong

NANNING, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and China will soon explore ways to
collaborate in producing business news and talk shows on television to be shown
in their respective countries.

This understanding was reached following a bilateral meeting between
Malaysian Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek and China's Minister in
the State Council Information Office, Wang Chen, Thursday.

Ahmad Shabery, who is here to attend the one-day Asean-China Ministers
Responsible for Information Conference, had broachedthe possibility of joint
production of business news between Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) and
government-run TV stations in China.

Wang said the proposal could be implemented once officials from both sides
had worked out the technical details.

He said the business news programme could be of half an hour or an hour's
duration, to be aired weekly.

Wang, in turn, suggested that talk shows be aired by inviting experts from
both countries to give their opinions on business and other topical
issues.

Ahmad Shabery said the speedy response from Wang demonstrated the
willingness of China's officials to work towards the improvement of information
and media programmes in both countries.

Both ministers shared the view that Asean and China need to develop their
own expertise in producing such programmes so that there would be more room for
opinions from Asia to be heard.

For instance, Wang said, Asian countries also had their own opinions on the
recent financial meltdown in the West and how they would be handling the issue.

Both ministers also agreed that there should be more exchange of ideas,
visits and training programmes between media organisations as well as government
officials involved in disseminating information in the two countries.

Ahmad Shabery also extended an invitation to Wang to visit Malaysia at his
own convenience and Wang in turn invited his Malaysian counterpart to visit
Beijing next year for the 60th anniversary of the founding of modern
China.

Incidentally, both Ahmad Shabery and Wang were the only ministers who spoke
on the potential financial tsunami resulting from financial meltdown in their
official speeches.

At Thursday night's bilateral meeting, Ahmad Shabery and Wang discovered
that they shared another similarity in that they had been holding their new
positions for the past six months.

Ahmad Shabery was previously parliamentary secretary in the Foreign
Ministry
while Wang was president of the People's Daily, one of China's highest
circulated newspapers. Prior to this, he was its Editor-in-Chief.

Meanwhile, Asean and China ministers responsible for information signed a
memorandum (MoU) aimed at further enhancing cooperation in the information and
media industries.

Malaysia was represented by Ahmad Shabery while Wang signed on behalf of
the
host country.

The other signatories from Asean were Brunei's Minister of Energy, Pehin
Haji Mohammad, Cambodia's Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, Indonesia's
Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Prof Dr. Mohammah Nuh,
Laos Minister of Information and Culture, Mounkeo Olaboune.

Myanmar's Minister of Information, Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, the Philippines'
Information Agency Secretary, Conrado A. Limcaoco Jr, Singapore's Minister for
Information, Communications and the Arts, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Thailand's
Director-General of Public Relations Department, Prachern Kamphoe, and Vietnam's
Minister of Infomation and Communications, Le Doan Hop.
-- BERNAMA