Written by: Seringe ST Touray
The Chinese Embassy in The Gambia hosted its 5th China-Gambia Bantaba last week Wednesday evening at the embassy hall in Bijilo, bringing together Gambian media professionals who recently returned from a two-week seminar in Beijing. The bantaba provided a platform for participants to share their experiences from the China visit with embassy officials and colleagues.
The event featured presentations from Gambian media professionals who had participated in the Beijing seminar, including the four-member Gambian delegation that attended the “Seminar for Senior Media Personnel from English-speaking African Countries” organized by China’s National Radio and Television Administration from May 9-22, 2025.
Speaking at the bantaba about his Beijing experience, QTV Deputy Director General Lassana Tunkara, who served as team leader of the Gambian delegation, described the China seminar as “as educational as it has been moving.” The delegation, which included Seringe S.T. Touray, editor-in-chief of the Fatu Network, Modou Joof, deputy director general of GRTS, Fatomatta Drammeh, manager at Kerr Fatou, and Gibril Jassey from West Coast Radio, joined colleagues from Ethiopia, Gabon, Lesotho, and Rwanda for the program.
“What unfolded next was a whirlwind of lectures, hands-on learning, cultural exploration, and unforgettable memories,” Tunkara told the gathering, which included His Excellency Ambassador Liu Jin and Deputy Head of Mission Zhao Shangsen, along with other embassy officials.
The Beijing seminar covered six major areas, including China’s national conditions and modernization, media integration and innovation, new media platform development, smart broadcasting technologies, and all-media reporting in the digital age. Participants also engaged in case studies and thematic discussions focused on China-Africa media cooperation.
Tunkara highlighted several key sessions, including lectures on constructive journalism by Professor Zhang of Communication University of China, and presentations on smart broadcasting technologies by the Deputy General Manager of China Radio and Television Network. He noted that the sessions encouraged delegates to consider possibilities for media development in their respective countries through new technologies including 5G.
“A particular highlight was the lecture by Professor Zhang of the Communication University of China on the Constructive Journalism Initiative. In a media landscape often dominated by conflict and crisis, this initiative reminds us that journalism can also be a bridge to hope, to dialogue, to solutions,” Tunkara said.
Beyond the technical training, the delegation visited cultural and historical sites including the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, the Olympic Park, and the CCTV Tower. Tunkara described his visit to Tiananmen Square as particularly meaningful, having long wanted to see the historic site where the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed in 1949.
“As a child growing up and learning about Chinese history, I had long dreamed of standing in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Tiananmen Square, the very heart of ancient Chinese history and the place where Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949,” he told the gathering. “Standing in that vast space, I was overcome with emotion and was smiling like a happy child.”
The delegation also visited Yucun Village in Anji, Zhejiang Province, the birthplace of the concept “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets,” where they observed China’s approach to environmental protection and economic development. “In Yucun Village—the birthplace of the concept ‘Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets’—we saw firsthand how green development and economic growth can walk hand-in-hand. The people of Anji are not only preserving nature; they are thriving with it,” Tunkara explained.
Tunkara spoke about personal connections made during the visit, including meeting a family from Jilin Province, leading to an ongoing friendship with their young son who maintains contact through daily voice messages. “That little connection, that spark between strangers-turned-family, is the very essence of what President Xi Jinping calls a Global Community with a Shared Future—a civilization of respect, exchange, and mutual learning,” he said.
During the presentation, Tunkara discussed the broader context of China-Africa relations and international cooperation. “In an uncertain era, where some global powers have adopted policies rooted in confrontation and short-term gain, Africa and China must stand shoulder to shoulder,” he stated. He referenced President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative, describing it as providing “practical frameworks for action in a world increasingly marked by division, inequality, and geopolitical uncertainty.”
The QTV Deputy Director General announced his collaboration with Professor Zhang to establish a Gambian chapter of a global constructive journalism network, building on similar initiatives being developed by media colleagues in Tanzania for a Pan-African network.
During visits to digital media companies including Alibaba’s Youku platform, delegates observed LED virtual production techniques and other technologies used in content creation.
Tunkara expressed appreciation to the Chinese hosts, particularly the Research and Training Institute team including Mr. Gao, Jade, and Yefei. He noted that his Chinese colleagues gave him the nickname “Lao Di Gae” (Big Brother) during the visit.
The bantaba concluded with a reception dinner, providing opportunities for continued dialogue between the media professionals and embassy officials about China-Gambia relations and media cooperation.
The seminar was part of China’s initiative to strengthen media cooperation with developing countries under the Belt and Road Initiative, having trained 6,740 government officials and media professionals from 163 developing countries since 2005.
