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China in Europe, by way of TV

By Wang Hongyi in Shanghai and Ding Qingfen in Beijing (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-14 08:07

A high-flying businessman from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, has bought a British satellite TV station and plans to broadcast shows promoting China in Europe.

Ye Maoxi, 50, president of Beijing-based private enterprise Xiking Group - which engages in advertising, cultural promotions, printing, manufacturing and real estate - acquired Leeds-based Propeller TV last month.

Propeller, which was launched in February 2006 on British Sky Broadcasting's satellite platform, was the first digital satellite television channel in Europe to screen new and original programming, a statement on Xiking's website said.

The company has not revealed the financial terms of the deal and Ye has not been available for comment.

An unnamed spokesperson with Xiking Group told China Daily Ye was in the UK, negotiating details of the takeover.

The Zhejiang-based City Express newspaper reported that Ye visited the UK as part of a contingent of Chinese business people with Premier Wen Jiabao earlier this year. During the visit, Ye learned that Propeller wanted to attract strategic investment because of the financial crisis.

"Specific programs to introduce China and Wenzhou will be introduced and some of them will be broadcasted in Chinese," Ye was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

"It will be a spot for local people to know more about China and for overseas Chinese to get the latest news about their homeland."

Ye, who is also head of the Wenzhou Chamber of Commerce's Beijing branch, said he will look for talent with overseas study backgrounds and rich experience in television media to work with Propeller TV.

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Calling it a "nice deal", Duncan Clark, president of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, said: "There is growing interest from the UK in knowing about China, but there are always misunderstandings. So it could help explain about China in a different way."

Three years ago, Wang Weisheng, also from Wenzhou, bought a state-owned television station in the United Arab Emirates and re-launched it in August 2006. It mainly disseminates business information about China.

Zhou Dewen, head of Wenzhou SME Business Development Promotion Association, said the deals showed the rise of Chinese businesspeople who want to diversify their business internationally.