CityU hosts Charhar Diplomatic Lecture Series: Renowned media commentator Liang Hongda discusses approach to promote China’s narratives
The Charhar Diplomatic Lecture Series, organized by the City University of Macau (CityU), was held today at the Ho Yin Conference Center at CityU’s Taipa Campus. Liang Hongda, a prominent media commentator, publisher, and member of the Charhar Institute’s Culture and Peace Committee, delivered a keynote lecture on “How to Tell China’s Stories Well”. Distinguished guests included Counselor Gao Yuan, director of the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Han Fangming, honorary doctor at CityU and chairman of the Charhar Institute; Sun Enguang, executive chairman of the Macau Committee of the Charhar Institute; and Wang Jiangyou, deputy secretary-general and director of the Hong Kong and Macau Office of the Charhar Institute.
In his remarks, CityU Rector Jun Liu warmly welcomed Mr. Liang and introduced him as a renowned commentator with profound knowledge. Mr. Liang has authored over ten books, including Viewing the World with Liang, and was recognized as the “Best Host of Current Affairs Programs” by New Weekly in its 2012 China TV Awards. Rector Liu also emphasized CityU’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the cross-cultural communication skills of faculty and students and strengthening their practice to effectively tell China’s stories. He then mentioned CityU’s applied linguistics programs cultivate interdisciplinary professionals with cross-cultural awareness. The university has also established various academic research institutions to provide diversified research and practice platforms for faculty and students, such as the City University of Macau – Charhar Center, the Macao Research Center for Chinese Culture, and the Center for China and the World (CCW). This lecture provided a valuable opportunity for the CityU community to interact directly with Mr. Liang Hongda, broaden their perspectives, and open their minds.
Mr. Liang shared insights from his experience with media commentary during his lecture, emphasizing that a forceful or combative approach frequently fails to persuade others. Instead, it can be more effective to tell China’s stories in a subtle and engaging manner. He explained that storytelling is about communication and requires a deep understanding of human nature. He suggested integrating storytelling with traditional Chinese culture and Chinese classical studies, as Chinese classical studies are rooted in human relations, human nature, and survival wisdom, while traditional Chinese culture has empathy at its core. Mr. Liang stressed the importance of putting oneself in another’s shoes when communicating and emphasized that understanding human nature simplifies interaction. Interspersed with intriguing episodes, Mr. Liang demonstrated how storytelling offers emotional support, strengthens human connections, and achieves long-term subtle influences. He also encouraged students to develop multiple hobbies, enhance their knowledge bank, and tell compelling and interesting stories with an amusing soul.
The Q&A session, moderated by Rector Liu, facilitated the exploration of topics such as how to effectively tell China’s stories in non-Chinese contexts and the characteristics of good Chinese stories. Mr. Liang provided humorous yet profound responses for CityU students. To the audience’s delight, Rector Liu and Mr. Liang presented a joint performance of a segment from the play The Legend of the Red Lantern, combining elements of Peking opera and the Errenzhuan folk dance (two-people rotation dance), which received thunderous applause from the audience.
Source: CityU Reporter
