On 2 April 2018, the New Media Workshop for ASEAN Embassies and Media was hosted by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and undertaken by ASEAN-China Education and Training Centre of Communication University of China (CUC), Academy of Media and Public Affairs of CUC, and Beijing Penguin Institute of New Media. Addressed the opening ceremony were Mr. Vithit Powattanasuk, Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC, and Prof. Yang Yujun, Dean of Academy of Media and Public Affairs of CUC. Prof. Dong Guanpeng, Provost of Professional Training, Executive and Continuing Education of CUC, Mr. Zhang Xiaofei, Manager in Weibo Content Coordinator of Sina Company, and Ms. Ma Yao, Director of WeChat Pay of Tencent Group, respectively delivered lectures on the development and application of China’s new media. Attended the workshop were media officials of ASEAN embassies in China including Brunei, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and ASEAN journalists based in Beijing including Antara News Agency of Indonesia and the Star of Malaysia, representatives of Thailand Tourism Authority and China Image Group, and staff of Professional Training, Executive and Continuing Education of CUC and ACC officers.

In the opening ceremony, Director Vithit thanked the support offered by CUC, and stated that echoing with the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation, the Workshop hosted by ACC is to introduce China’s new media to ASEAN embassies and media, and help them to maximize the use of new media, with a view to make joint contributions to ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges. Dean Yang Yujun welcomed all the participants and thanked ACC for hosting Workshop in CUC. He recognized the importance and booming trend of new media in China through sharing his vivid personal experiences.

Mr. Zhang Xiaofei of Sina, in his presentation, cited theimportance of social media nowadays.He stated the popularity and usefulness of Weibo in promoting the images of foreign countriesand international organizationsin China. He also shared practical guidelines and techniques for ASEAN embassies to register on Weibo with verification, attract more followers, disseminate information and combat fake news.

Ms. Ma Yao presented development and strength of WeChat Pay as a new payment instrument, and the progress and prospect of WeChat Pay’s business in Southeast Asia. She encouraged all ASEAN countries to introduce Chinese preferred new payment instrument into their markets in order to better accommodate Chinese tourists and achieve win-win outcomes.

Provost Dong Guanpeng delivered a lecture themed Managing Country Branding in the Omni-Media Age. Combined with his own experiences serving as consultant to the government, government official, and scholar on communication and public relations, he stated the definition, theories, techniques and cases of how foreign embassies in China deal with media in the omni-media age. In addition, he elucidated the practical suggestions to ASEAN embassies on crisis management and country branding in omni-media age.

Followed the lectures were an interaction session through which ASEAN media officialslearned about how to maximize the use of social media in China for bettering their countries’ images. ACCrepresentatives also assured all embassies the full support from ACC’s WhChat, Weibo and Website in promoting the images of ASEAN.The workshop was concluded with a visit toMedia Museum of CUC, where all participantslearned the history and development process of media in China and the world.

The one day workshop was well received by all participants. They respectively thanked ACC and stated the workshop came at the right time, which drew the big picture of the booming trend of Chinese new media and meanwhile offered practicalguidelines for ASEAN embassies to reach out the public through launching new media.