News that China Central Television (CCTV) is to expand its foreign correspondent positions in 2012 accompanies the signing of an agreement between Vision IPTV and CCTV to distribute a number of its TV channels to UK audiences via the broadband-connected FreeviewHD television service.

This ratifies an agreement initiated in London that will provide Chinese expatriate viewers directly with Chinese programming for the first time – three live channels from CCTV with further channels and content to follow.

‘CCTV has been very impressed with Vision IPTV’s innovative technology and the quality of the team put together to help us deliver this new service in the UK. We look forward to widening collaboration in the coming months,’ says CCTV Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Tong Zhu.

The expansion of its foreign correspondents is part of a plan to set up studios in North America and Africa, each employing more than 200 people, in line with Beijing’s aim to preserve China’s ‘cultural security’ and boost the country’s soft power overseas.

The Chinese Government has made RMB45bn (US$7.1bn) available to fund the expansion of state-owned media groups including Xinhua, CCTV and CRI radio. CCTV has recently launched channels in Russian, Arabic, Spanish and French in addition to its overseas Chinese-language and English service, and several Chinese newspapers have also launched English-language editions. In addition, Chinese government agencies – including the Defence Ministry – now have English versions of their websites.