China Daily in historic link-up with US papers

A page of China Watch published by China Daily on September 23, 2015.

To enhance coverage of President Xi Jinping's first state visit to the US and his attendance at summits marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, China Daily will publish China Watch, a 48-page special during the visit in the print editions and online channels of three major US newspapers: The Seattle Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. This allows China Daily's coverage to reach the mainstream US audience.

This is the first time that a media organization from China has supplied news pages on such a large scale to leading foreign newspapers during a major event.

The 48 pages, which include 86 stories and 212 pictures and graphics, will comprehensively explain major topics concerning Sino-US relations. These will focus on, among others, the highlights of China's development since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, historical interactions of high-ranking officials, growing ties between China and the US, the trade relationship, China's role in and contributions to the United Nations and the expectations that US citizens have about the president's visit.

On Sept 22, the day the president arrived in the US, the Seattle Times published teasers about the state visit on its front page, suggesting its readers turn to China Daily's special coverage inside.

China Daily has also added eight QR codes to the special pages, so that readers can enjoy a more flexible reading experience on their mobile devices. After scanning the codes, readers will be led to digital special reports, forums and media products in the Html 5 formats.

All the contents of the special pages will be published on the China Watch channels set up on the websites of The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph and the Le Figaro (in French). Those special web pages will keep updating the latest reports and analysis of the visit, as well as opinion articles written by authors from top think tanks around the world.

Meanwhile, China Daily USA edition, a branch of China Daily, which is edited and distributed in the US and Canada, will publish over 30 special pages during the visit. China Daily USA will be printed in nine major US cities, including Washington and New York. The newspaper will be distributed to US government organizations and Congress, high-end think tanks, top universities, major institutions, international companies, the United Nations and other global agencies.