Photo: People's Daily

The media in all countries along the Belt and Road should join hands and cooperate on telling a good story, so as to write a new chapter about the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said at the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) Second Council Meeting held at People's Daily in Beijing on Monday.

Representatives of 38 council members of the BRNN from 23 countries held an in-depth exchange of views on joint efforts for common development through cooperation, the Global Times learned on Monday.

The media is an important force in leading public opinion and communicating with the people, Li said via video link. To write a new chapter about high-quality development of the BRI, he said, the media of all countries should adhere to unity and cooperation, and make new contributions to promote the spirit of the BRI.

They should also give priority to development, and take a new role in telling the BRI story, while achieving new results in the cultivation of friendship along the BRI, Li noted.

The final evaluation of the first international communication awards was held at the conference. The work "Kazakhstan Belt and Road Initiative: The road to Somewhere" and some 18 others won awards, and Mushahid Hussain Syed, chairman of the Pakistani Senate Defense Committee, won the Special Contribution Award.

The First Council Meeting of the BRNN kicked off on April 23, 2019. Through the concerted efforts of 40 members of the first BRNN council and all BRNN members over the past years, the BRNN has made solid progress in enhancing dialogue and communication, carrying out practical cooperation, and promoting people-to-people exchanges and resource sharing. It has become an important platform for cooperation among media outlets from the countries and regions participating in the BRI.

The BRNN's growing reputation has drawn an increasing number of media outlets. To date, the BRNN has welcomed 218 members, up from 182 when the BRNN First Council Meeting was held, People's Daily reported.