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Chinese state television launched an Arabic-language channel beamed to the Middle East and Africa on Saturday as part of efforts to expand its media influence abroad.
The 24-hour channel will air in 22 Arabic-speaking countries, reaching more than 300 million people, China Central Television (CCTV) said.
The channel "will serve as an important bridge to strengthen communication and understanding between China and Arab countries," said a CCTV vice president, Zhang Changming.
Beijing is carrying out a multibillion-dollar effort to raise the profile of its state media abroad by expanding CCTV, the People's Daily reported.
The effort has a budget of 45 billion yuan (BD2.4 billion). The Arabic channel will carry news, feature stories, entertainment and educational programs. The network already broadcasts in English, French and Spanish as well as in Mandarin.
Despite rapid economic growth and rising global influence, China has retained its authoritarian one-party political system with strict limits on freedom of speech.
The media drive follows efforts by Russia and Qatar to influence international news coverage through their state-funded Russia Today and Al Jazeera channels. Those attempts to challenge the BBC and CNN have scored some success.
Last month CCTV also announced plans for a Russian channel.
State TV is also overhauling its domestic news broadcasts for the first time in a decade to combat a decline in viewership.
