Chinese and Russian central TV broadcasting companies to create joint TV programmes

The Central Television of China and the All-Russia State TV and Radio Company (VGTRK) will create joint TV programmes. The relevant questions and the ways of practical cooperation in the field of exchange of TV information were discussed in Beijing on Tuesday by Minister of the Press of Russia Mikhail Lesin and general director of Central Television of the PRC Zhao Huayong. Already this year it is planned to complete concrete work on the question of setting up a working group on cooperation between the state TV channels of the two countries, and to draw up a practical plan of their interaction for the year of 2003.

Lesin and Zhao Huayong agreed that this plan must include such directions of cooperation as exchange of TV programmes about the life of the peoples of the two countries, and the TV report on the historical traditions, folklore and present-day life. Making joint TV serials, newsreels and documentaries and weekly information programmes about life in Russia and China must also form part of the plan of exchange.

The sides will select well-known literary works of Russia and China for further work on the question of making a joint TV film.

As general director of Central Television of China Zhao Huayong stated, it is desirable that such a plan be drawn up already before the end of this year so that in 2003 it could be possible to start implementing it and to fulfil it in 2004.