Weihai, China, November 24, 2025
An international delegation of overseas Chinese-language media launched a week-long reporting tour in the coastal city of Weihai on Monday, part of a broader effort by Shandong province to expand the global reach of its regional stories and development agenda.
The “2025 Overseas Chinese Media Shandong Tour,” hosted by the provincial government, brought together representatives from 17 outlets across 14 countries. The opening meeting was chaired by Liu Binhua, director of overseas Chinese affairs at the United Front Work Department of the Shandong Provincial Committee.
Speaking on behalf of Weihai’s municipal government, Zhou Hua — deputy head of the city’s United Front Work Department — welcomed the visiting journalists and highlighted the city’s evolving economic and social landscape.
Zhou described Weihai as a “refined and liveable” community that has won the UN-Habitat Award, while also emerging as a hub for advanced manufacturing, high-tech industries and export-oriented growth. He noted that the city’s coastal geography, tourism potential and deep pool of overseas Chinese resources contribute to its distinctive identity.
He emphasized that Weihai’s push toward high-quality development relies heavily on international engagement and support from global Chinese communities. Zhou encouraged the delegates to capture the city’s energy “through their pens and lenses,” and to help international audiences better understand the region’s economic momentum and cultural character.
In a closing address, Liu underscored the province’s progress under China’s national strategy for ecological protection along the Yellow River Basin. He said Shandong has made “substantive advances” in green development and environmental restoration, pointing to both Weihai and Dongying as examples of cities with unique strengths worth spotlighting.
Liu called on the media participants to tailor their reporting to the needs and expectations of audiences in their home countries while conveying Shandong’s ecological initiatives, urban development and innovation stories in vivid, accessible ways.
Organizers say the tour serves as both a window into Shandong’s development and an opportunity to deepen international cultural and media exchanges. By leveraging the reach of overseas Chinese outlets, officials hope to broaden the province’s global visibility and bring more Qilu-region stories to audiences worldwide.
