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The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, on Tuesday, challenged media practitioners in developing countries to reflect whether their mandate is to report accurately on issues to foster bilateral goodwill and progress or to reiterate the reports of Western media stereotypes.

     Commenting on the perpetuation of the negative stereotyped portrayal of China in the Western media over the years, Madam Sun Baohong said: “…So may we ask ourselves that whether the media in developing countries should set a high benchmark of code of conduct to enhance mutual understanding of peoples of the world or we should repeat other people’s words like a parrot?”  

     Madam Baohong said this when she joined Dr Bernard Otabil, the Chief Executive Officer, of the Ghana News Agency to inaugurate the newly-created China-Africa Desk of the Agency.

    The Desk would gather and disseminate news on issues, including Socio-Cultural, Economic, Educational/Literary, Political and Environmental events affecting China and Africa.

    Urging the media in Ghana to, therefore, comprehensively balance their reportage of China, Madam Baohong said: “There are too many good stories in China-Ghana and China-Africa relations that are worthy of survey and publicity.”

    On the recent positive happenings in China, Madam Baohong said the Chinese premier Li Keqiang, delivering a report on the work of the Government in Beijing, announced that China’s GDP reached 67.7 trillion Yuan RMB (around 1.4 trillion USD) in 2015, representing an increase of 6.9 per cent over the previous year; “a growth rate faster than that of most other major economies.”

     “The Service sector, as a proportion of GDP, rose to 50.5 per cent, accounting for more than half for the first time.”

    She said the contribution of consumption towards economic growth reached 66.4 per cent, while business start-ups and innovations by the public flourished with the number of newly registered businesses rising by 21.6 per cent, or an average of 12, 000 new businesses per day.

    “Personal per capita disposable income increased by 7.4 per cent in real terms overtaking the growth rate of the economy.”

    She said at present, the Chinese Government was implementing the supply side reform. “In doing so, the Chinese Government is deepening reforms to streamline administration, improve regulation, and provide better services to ensure that the country’s potential for starting businesses and making innovation is released.”

     Additionally, she said the Government was pushing for progress in State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) reform and energizing the non-public sector.

“A wave of internet plus is booming in China, mass entrepreneurship and innovation are getting more and more popular.”

      Under quite bleak global economic circumstances, she said, people were always keen to learn whether China would continue to contribute to, or would implicate global growth.

    However, she pointed out that the economic indicators as she had recounted, showed that China’s economy was warming up and achieving stability.