British Conservative Party Vice Chairman Hon. Sarah Newton MP and five colleagues from the Conservative Party China Group visited the Tsinghua school of Journalism and Communication on April 18. During a meeting with Professor SHI Anbin, Associate Dean of International Development, Dr.HANG Min, Associate Professor and Co-Director of MA Program in Global Business Journalism and Dr.ZHOU Qing'an(Andy), Associate Professor and Director of MA program in International Journalism, the two sides exchanged opinions on international journalism education, the current state of Chinese investigative journalism and how to run campus newspapers.

During their discussion, the Conservative delegation expressed keen interest in the development of Chinese media. They believe that both countries have respectable traditions and rich cultures despite the differences in political system and media development. The delegates said they were impressed by China’s fast-growing economy. They also praised the learning aspirations of Chinese students and recommended that the students apply for internships in British media houses.

Expressing their enthusiasm for strengthening academic exchanges between China and the UK, the students participating in the event shared their insights on British culture and media with the delegation, as well.

The British Conservative Party China Group was established in 2009, with a mission to deepen the members’ understanding of China and to promote bilateral relations. The China Group is now the largest group in the British Parliament with over a hundred members and is also the most active one. They frequently invite people from political, business, academic and media circles in China and the UK to discuss the obstacles and opportunities encountered in China-UK collaborations. In 2011, the deputy speaker of the House of Lords, Chris Evans, and his delegation visited China at the invitation of the International Department , Central Committee of CPC.

By Fan Yang