Media urged to tone down nationalism

By Yang Jingjie (Global Times)

08:46, September 05, 2012

Media professionals from China, Japan, South Korea and 10 Southeast Asian countriesTuesday called on media organizations to act in a rational manner and avoid stirring upnationalism over intensified territorial disputes in the region at the Fifth 10+3 MediaCooperation Forum held in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province.

Wu Hengquan, Editor-in-Chief of the People's Daily, told participants that the forum ison its way to becoming the most influential communications platform for media expertsin Asia.

Wu said Asia's voice is not big enough to change the status quo and that severalcountries monopolize international communications.

According to the State Council Information Office, more than 80 percent of world newscarried on Asian media outlets originates from major news agencies in the West.

To change what he called an unfair and imbalanced information flow, Wu urged Asianmedia to expand cooperation, establish a new international order and state Asia'sstance in an internationally accepted manner.

Wu also asked media organizations to cover disputes in the region rationally, addingthat media reports should help reduce miscalculations and promote commonunderstanding, and properly reflect recent tensions in the East China Sea, whereTokyo is in a row with Seoul over the disputed islands known as Dokdo and Japan is ina tussle with China over the Diaoyu Islands.

Wu's sentiments were echoed by participants at the forum.

Wakamiya Yoshibumi, editor-in-chief of Japan's Asahi Shimbun paper, asked mediaorganizations to refrain from excessive emotional coverage.

Yoshibumi also warned of ultra-nationalism being incited on social media platforms,noting that "such public opinions are a common challenge for all countries."

Jung Suk-koo, chief editorial writer of the Hankyoreh Daily of South Korea, expressedconcerns that the recent territorial disputes in the region would affect regionaleconomic cooperation, which is dealing with a chilled global economy.

Peter Ong, assistant editor of Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, also said that the disputesin the South China Sea and the recent rows between Japan, South Korea and Chinacould drag down the process of economic integration in East Asia, which he believes iscritical for the global economic recovery.

Unlike previous rows, the tit-for-tat reactions in recent disputes have created troublesfor regional stability, noted Ong, adding that strong nationalist emotions caused by thedisputes have hampered diplomatic negotiations.

"If Asian countries are hostile to each other, there is no way for us to raise our voice inthe world," said Yoshibumi.

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（Editor：梁军、马茜）