India and China Monday agreed to boost cooperation in the media sector, which they said could act as a bridge for better bilateral cooperation by highlighting the positive aspects of their relationship.

 

 

 During talks between Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari and a visiting Chinese delegation led by Cai Ming Zhao, the minister of state for Council Information Office, both sides agreed to initiate steps to include media cooperation as part of activities to observe 2014 as the year of Friendly Exchanges between the two countries. 

 

 As part of this, both sides agreed to consider steps to promote high level media exchanges and outline a roadmap to include specific projects and proposals in the media domain, said a statement.

 

 The two sides also agreed to explore possible areas of cooperation in the field of capacity building, co-production agreements in the area of films, sharing of the experience of institutionalizing digitization in the broadcasting sector and enhanced participation during the film festivals being held in both countries. 

 

 It was suggested that all possible areas could be identified under a working group set up between the two countries. Both sides also agreed to share experiences with regard to strategy, policy initiatives, innovation and implementation across different media platforms, the statement said.

 

 During talks, Tewari highlighted the growth potential of the Indian media industry, especially in the context of the growth of regional media markets, diversity of Indian media and the growing potential of the regional media across different media platforms.

 

 He also highlighted the role of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharti in disseminating quality information through diverse media formats, including the initiatives launched through the New Media. 

 

 Cai informed Tewari of the components that constituted the Chinese media landscape, including the developments related to new media. 

 

 He outlined the role of media in fostering people-to-people contact between the two countries thereby acting as a catalyst for a positive relationship in the future. 

 

 Cai invited Tewari to visit China in 2014 as part of the celebrations. Cai is on a visit to India to participate in the first meeting of the India-China Media Forum being held in New Delhi.  

 

 –Indo-Asian News Service