Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Hosts Academic Forum: Strengthen International Communication Capabilities & Tell China's Story through Brands

To thoroughly implement the spirit of the Party's 20th National Congress and General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions on strengthening international communication capabilities, and in line with his important speech during his visit to Yunnan, aiming to enhance the international influence of regional brands and build Yunnan into a radiation center facing South Asia and Southeast Asia, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics hosted the academic forum titled "Using Brands as Media to Empower 'Belt and Road' International Communication in Southeast Asia" on December 16, 2023. Co-organized by the School of Media and Design Arts, Kunming National Advertising Industrial Park, and Yunnan Radio & TV Station’s Lancang-Mekong International TV, the forum at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Anning Campus was a success. The forum featured one main and two parallel forums, with 16 academic sharing sessions. Representatives from 18 universities nationwide, including Communication University of China, Xiamen University, and 25 enterprises and media organizations like NetEase News, gathered to discuss news communication, cultural exchanges, and cooperation in South Asia and Southeast Asia under the "Belt and Road" initiative, offering insights and practical cases for strengthening international communication capabilities and telling the story of Chinese culture.

Li Zhengbiao, Party Committee Member and Vice President of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, welcoming the experts and scholars, and emphasizing the forum as an important measure for the university to actively integrate into and serve the national strategy. He called for in-depth discussions on strengthening cultural international communication to promote the prosperity of Chinese culture and contribute more to enhancing the soft power and influence of Chinese culture.

Yang Yi, Party Committee Member and Vice Dean of Communication University of China, congratulated the forum, especially celebrating the establishment of the Center for International Communication of Chinese Brands in South and Southeast Asia at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics. He highlighted the Center's role in the national strategy and Yunnan's key link in the "Belt and Road" initiative, particularly in strengthening exchanges and cooperation with countries in South and Southeast Asia.

Professor Zhao Xinli, Dean of the Advertising School at Communication University of China, delivered a keynote speech titled "International Communication Research from the Perspective of Regional Nationality and Brand". He discussed the significant influence of brands in cultural and political fields, the close connection between brands and national communication strategies, and analyzed brand logic from commercial, regional, and national perspectives, offering solutions to current issues in regional international communication. Professor Chen Subai, Vice Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Xiamen University, shared insights on brand digital marketing in the Internet era, discussing the impact of digital technologies and AI on brand communication and emphasizing the importance of consumer emotional resonance and co-creation in promoting brand communication.

Subsequently, Professor Zhu Li, Dean of the School of Economics at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, and Associate Professor Gao Yang, Head of the Advertising Department at the School of Media and Design Arts, shared their research and experiences on "New Media Marketing: Based on Social Media Transformation" and "International Communication of Chinese Brands: Theoretical Concepts and Think Tank Construction for Southeast Asia". Industry expert Lv Chenghong, Chairman of Kunming National Advertising Industrial Park Operation Company, introduced the innovative development of the advertising industrial park in his speech "History, Development, and Current Situation of the National Advertising Industrial Park with an Innovative Analysis of the Kunming Park". Zhang Jing, Director of Lancang-Mekong International TV at Yunnan Radio & TV Station, emphasized the importance of the Lancang-Mekong Audiovisual APP platform in international cooperation and communication, sparking lively discussions among the experts and scholars.

The two parallel forums in the afternoon focused on the core issue of deepening the construction of brand international communication capabilities. At the "Chinese Brands and International Communication Capability Building" parallel forum, professors from Yunnan University, Yunnan Normal University, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Chongqing Technology and Business University, and CEO Zhao Tong from Two Supreme Networks presented their reports, discussing Chinese brand international communication from diverse perspectives. Professor Yuan Pingfang, Deputy Director of the Center for Political and Legal Propaganda and Public Opinion Research at China University of Political Science and Law, commented on the presentations, noting the shift in international communication from a single national focus to a broader civilizational scope, posing higher demands on how Chinese brands tell China's story. We need to start from the perspective of Chinese civilization, transition from passive acceptance to active shaping, and reshape the relationship between civilization history and modern narrative, to enhance China's cultural soft power and influence on the global stage, and promote the greater role of Chinese brands in international understanding and cooperation.

At the "Cultural Export and Civilizational Mutual Learning" parallel forum, professors from Shenzhen University, Yunnan University of Nationalities, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Zhejiang Media College, and Wang Jian, Project Director of Yunnan Rural Eyes Cultural Center, delved into the key role of Chinese brands in cultural export to South and Southeast Asia under the "Belt and Road" initiative. They brought insights on "Digital Brand Communication in the Smart Era", "ESG and Regional Public Brand Building: Based on the Investigation of Yunnan Coffee Industry", "Yunnan Cultural Exchange in the 'Belt and Road' Initiative: What and How", "From Information Flow to Content Flow: Challenges and Shifts in Brand Management in the AI Era", and "From Rural Eyes to Lancang-Mekong Eyes: Participatory Imaging Practices and Thoughts in Southwest China and Southeast Asia". Shi Yu, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of "News Enthusiast", summarized the discussions, noting that over the past ten years of the "Belt and Road" initiative, Yunnan's pivotal position in the southwest direction has become increasingly prominent, showcasing its important gateway role in deepening China's exchanges and cooperation with countries in South and Southeast Asia. Increasing research and exploration of Yunnan's local brands, integrating them into the international communication discourse, uniting the forces of international communication, and serving the country's major strategy will provide new perspectives for telling the story of Chinese modernization and the new form of human civilization.

In addition, the forum also held the unveiling of the Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Industry-Education Integration Postgraduate Joint Training Base, the establishment of the Center for International Communication of Chinese Brands in South and Southeast Asia, and the signing ceremony of cooperation between the School of Media and Design Arts, Lancang-Mekong International TV of Yunnan Radio & TV Station, and Anning City Integrated Media Center, injecting new momentum into the university's talent training, scientific research, social service, and international exchange.

Article source: School of Media and Design Arts, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics

Text by Liu Luyao
Photos by Feng Lijin, Wu Wentao, Zhang Xiaoyue