Media co-op, good for fighting Western media trends: IRNA chief

“Tehran-Beijing media ties are necessary given current circumstances where the Western media are after unilateral transfer of information,” said Khoddadi in a meeting with director of People’s Daily of China Li Bayoshan.

In the meeting, IRNA chief said the exchange of experiences between the media in East Asia and the Middle East regions can be a good pattern for other states.

He went on to say that the Western media are trying to show a positive picture for themselves and a negative one for the others.

“Use of direct sources of news and information is the best way to counter them,” Khoddadi added.

He further said IRNA and Iran press Institute are well-prepared to share experiences with other media.

“The Western media should not be allowed to release false information about us,” said Khoddadi, adding, “This is the duty of the independent media such as IRNA and People’s Daily to combat them (Western media).”

For his part, Bayoshan called for the further expansion of ties between the two sides, and stressed that the role that the media play in the present arena is 'important and effective'.

He further said that the expansion of cooperation and sharing experiences and information can play a leading role in promotion of Beijing-Tehran ties.

Khoddadi travelled to Beijing at the invitation of the Chinese government to take part in the second non-governmental forum of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) which opened in China’s capital on Wednesday.

1483**2050