Coverage of the Theme "One Belt and One Road" in the Media, on the Example of the TASS Agency

Yan Huiru Postgraduate student, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 6 596222102.@qq.com

Introduction

The TASS News Agency is the state news agency of modern Russia, which has been leading its history since the times of the USSR.  There was a period in the history of the agency when it was abolished, but since 2014 it has again been one of the central media of the country. As a central news agency, it is responsible for collecting, transmitting, reflecting and distributing information and documents of the President, Parliament and Government, as well as for transmitting feedback to these bodies. The agency's coverage of the "One Belt and One Road" initiative is representative and valuable for research, reflecting to a large extent the level of official and public awareness of the initiative in the country.

In order to present a more complete picture of the agency's coverage of the Initiative, a sample was made for the period from September 2013 to December 2019, publications were found by keywords, and on official sources of the news agency.

Analysis of the illumination of the topic

A brief analysis of the media coverage of the Belt and Road initiative reveals three features. From the point of view of the topics covered, TASS focused more on major political and economic events, such as the two summits of international cooperation "Belt and Road" and relations between China and Russia, its political and economic aspects were touched upon. Most of the headlines attracted attention and were sharply worded, they contained more analysis and comments than factual information^[1]. From the point of view of the duration and depth of coverage, the materials of "TASS" are mostly brief, superficial and narrative in nature, with a small number of comments.

As the Belt and Road initiative progresses, as well as the development and implementation of construction projects within the framework of the Belt and Road, the coverage of the Belt and Road initiative in the media of both countries as a whole is growing. The amount of news is increasing, and the content is becoming more in-depth.

The coverage of the initiative by TASS was mainly focused on international cooperation.  The content, goals and plans for the implementation of the Initiative, the results achieved have also been repeatedly highlighted, as well as the explicit support of the Belt and Road Initiative by Russian and Chinese officials. The initiative has demonstrated its unique status and feasibility, it is a constructive initiative for the development of regional trade and economic cooperation based on mutual benefit, and has received a positive response in both countries.

In addition, TASS reports that the initiative benefits countries located along the route^[2].Since 2013, China has invested more than $50 billion in countries along the route. Chinese companies have created 56 economic and trade cooperation zones in 20 countries, providing US$ 1.1 billion in tax revenues and creating 180,000 jobs, China has signed contracts with 61 countries totaling US$ 34.07 billion."^[3] The agency's materials note that friendly relations between China and the Russian Federation cleared the way for the development of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which, in turn, made it possible for bilateral relations to move to a higher level^[4].

The One Belt and Road initiative is fully consistent with national strategies, and the cooperation mechanism will contribute to the common prosperity of both countries.

As noted in a number of Agency materials ^[5], great importance is attached to the coupling of the Belt and Road initiative with national development strategies, in particular in matters of food security and overcoming transport barriers. The initiative is a unique opportunity for the economic development of the participating countries, and there are agreements to constantly create new cooperation platforms and bilateral cooperation mechanisms that meet the fundamental interests of the two peoples and will contribute to the common development and prosperity of both countries. After the "One Belt, One Road" initiative was launched, the question of how to attract Chinese investment became a hot topic of discussion among officials and citizens^[6]. At the same time, scientists are making suggestions and recommendations on how to align the country's development strategy with the initiative, and the Government is also actively developing appropriate national development strategies to give a new impetus to domestic economic development.

During the forum of the International Cooperation Summit in Beijing in 2017, the TASS news agency published an article "India has decided to boycott the Belt and Road Forum in China"^[7]. "The article quotes the words of the official representative of the Indian Foreign Ministry that "the Belt and Road initiative should be implemented in such a way as to respect the territorial and sovereign integrity of the country," as well as the words of the Prime Minister of India that the China-Pakistan economic corridor is unacceptable.

TASS in its reports touches on the topic that "One Belt, One Road" is aimed at creating a corridor for direct trade between East and West, and in this case Tajikistan should be actively integrated into it for development. The reports also touch upon the moments of the history of the ancient Silk Road, as well as the introduction, implementation and achievements of the Belt and Road initiative. The origins of the Belt and Road initiative are mentioned, an important role on the ancient Silk Road is noted: the ancient Silk Road united all the countries along the route. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to combine the efforts of the Central Asian countries to build the Silk Road Economic Belt in order to bring the countries of Eurasia closer together and create a corridor for direct trade between East and West^[8]. Article "How can Tajikistan join China's megaprojects? In the article "How can Tajikistan join China's megaprojects?" Ten very promising projects have been identified that will not only ensure the development of Tajikistan's domestic economy, but also have a high potential for integration with the Belt and Road initiative. In addition, Tajikistan is actively promoting the alignment of its national development strategy with the Belt and Road initiative.

The article "Tajikistan in the Program of Great Powers" compares the Belt and Road Initiative with other world programs and emphasizes the superiority of the Belt and Road Initiative. In comparison with the Eurasian Economic Union, it is argued that cooperation could offer Tajikistan brighter prospects for development.

When comparing the Belt and Road initiative with the American New Silk Road initiative, it was noted that the American initiative is significantly inferior to the Chinese Belt and Road initiative in that it is "overly politicized" and has "insignificant national funding^[8].

In the materials of "TASS"[ it is noted that the Russian Federation is currently facing many problems in its economic development and that Chinese investments are currently the only way to compensate for the problems from the sanctions fight with the West.  

For the Central Asian countries, the Belt and Road initiative will not only solve their current problems, but also provide them with greater political support, investment and expansion of trade exports. The Belt and Road Initiative will change the role of the sea in determining global economic development since the time of the Great geographical discoveries and will bring new development opportunities to landlocked countries located far from the sea. The Belt and Road Initiative will change the crucial role of the sea in global economic development since the Great geographical discoveries and bring new development opportunities to landlocked countries located far from the sea. The "One Belt, One Road" initiative is of great importance for Tajikistan, which is rich in natural resources, but is far from the sea. The most immediate benefit will be a change in the high cost of import and export logistics in Central Asian countries, saving transport costs and time and facilitating the flow of goods and capital, thereby improving the standard of living of the population and contributing to modernization.

Discussing the initiative, some news agency reports discuss problems related to investments and production of Chinese enterprises in Russia within the framework of the Belt and Road, for example, excessive profits (more than half) from the extraction of minerals by Chinese enterprises and a large number of mined mines caused damage to the local ecological environment[9]. The development of greenhouse agriculture in Tajikistan will not only deplete the land, but also squeeze the livelihoods of local farmers; "Made in China" floods the national market, but the poor quality of goods endangers the health of the population, food from China contains harmful substances, etc. At the same time, some reports express doubts about the motives of the Belt and Road initiative as a "bell" in the struggle between East and West for dominance in Asia. Other materials express concern about China's growing influence in Tajikistan and Central Asia, arguing that the Belt and Road initiative is pushing countries along the route to form a bubble, which leads to inequality between rich and poor, and that if a financial crisis occurs in China, it will spread to countries along the route. Such reports also linked Tajikistan's huge external debt to China, referring to an article by Fitch Ratings^[10], which claimed that Tajikistan faces high political risks due to foreign debt, primarily from China, and that a rupture in relations between the two sides could lead to the collapse of Tajikistan's economy.

At the early stage of the Belt and Road initiative, TASS mainly reported on economic and trade relations between China and the Russian Federation, without mentioning the Belt and Road. Since 2015, the Belt and Road has been increasingly featured in the Agency's reports. In terms of coverage, the government's attitude to the Belt and Road initiative has changed from macro-political support to the proposal of concrete measures and projects, and from "unanimous support of Central Asian countries" to "Tajikistan responded positively, fully supported and worked with China on the creation of the Belt and Road", from suspicion and passive acceptance to actively participate in it, and from the abstract idea of the Belt and Road initiative. They have also changed their perception of the Belt and Road initiative from an abstract concept to a concrete project in which they can participate and receive tangible benefits.

TASS notes that the Belt and Road initiative has led to the development of infrastructure in the countries along the route, is aimed at strengthening ties between the countries of Eurasia and creating direct trade corridors between East and West, and that it corresponds to the National Development Strategy until 2030.

The Belt and Road Initiative brings huge benefits to Central Asia and is a major opportunity to solve the main issues of energy independence, food security and overcoming transport barriers, as well as one of the most important solutions to the current problems associated with the reduction of labor remittances from abroad and currency devaluation.

TASS has repeatedly stressed that Tajikistan is an integral part of the Belt and Road in terms of history, geopolitics and economic development, and points to the mutual benefit between Tajikistan and the Belt and Road. Secondly, in addition to the stimulating effect of the initiative on the economy of Tajikistan, the Central Asian region and the countries along the route, he is more concerned about the results of China's construction in Tajikistan and the problems that arose during the construction process, such as the huge amount of economic assistance and loans provided by China, threatening the financial security of Tajikistan, the influx of Chinese goods, squeezing the survival space of small enterprises in Tajikistan, mining and cement processing, seriously threatening the environment and the health of the inhabitants of the countries, etc. Finally, the materials question the global significance of the Belt and Road initiative, claiming that it is aimed at revolutionizing the global economic landscape and that China is turning its economic power into a geopolitical force that will eventually "become the backbone of Eurasia."

 On the economic front, it is hoped that the development of the economic corridor infrastructure will directly improve road transport, logistics and information infrastructure, destroy transport barriers and form a direct land trade corridor to the east, west and south, while reducing import and export costs, expanding exports and promoting the movement of goods and economic development. There is hope that the financial contribution from the construction of the Belt and Road will ease the problem of reducing labor transfers caused by the economic downturn in Russia and create favorable conditions for attracting Chinese investment; there is hope that the promotion of the Belt and Road will create huge employment opportunities and the consumer market; there is hope that the Belt and Road The path will create a direct overland trade corridor in three directions: east, west and south. It is hoped that the construction of the Belt and Road will eventually contribute to the independent and healthy development of the economy.

Politically, it is hoped that the construction of the economic corridor will strengthen political interaction and ties between the countries along the route, promote regional political cooperation and reduce the restrictions imposed on Central Asia by the rivalry of major powers.

From the point of view of science and technology, it is hoped that the construction of economic corridors will contribute to the modernization of technologies and equipment of enterprises, and the deepening of cooperation between the countries will promote cultural exchanges and strengthen cooperation in the field of science and education in the countries along the corridors.

As for social services, there is hope that Chinese enterprises will actively take on social responsibility and contribute to the social development of the Russian Federation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be noted that there are some differences in the perception of the Belt and Road initiative in different publications, the reason for which lies in different positioning. TASS is under the direct leadership of the President and the Government, and given the strong support of the Belt and Road initiative from the highest echelons of power, coverage of the Belt and Road initiative is inevitably mostly positive, and the only negative reportage is an indirect expression of TASS's opinion about the Belt and Road initiative. "The only negative message was an indirect expression of concern about the Belt and Road initiative, expressed by TASS. On the other hand, the news agency is much freer in its statements, has a wider range of topics to choose from and often has a clear and balanced point of view. At the same time, the level and position of journalists vary greatly, which makes it difficult to guarantee the objectivity and impartiality of some in-depth reports. As the central news agency, TASS is responsible for collecting and distributing information and documents from the President, Parliament and government of the Russian Federation, as well as bringing them to subordinate units and individuals.

Some negative publicity had a negative impact on the understanding of the local population of the importance and role of the Belt and Road initiative. However, on the whole, the information agency's opinion about the Belt and Road initiative was positive, as it created a large number of jobs in the countries along the route, stimulated economic development, destroyed the barriers of inaccessibility that for a long time did not allow the Central Asian countries to access the sea, and created new opportunities for regional economic development.

Finally, one of the reasons for the concern expressed by the media about the Belt and Road initiative is the disproportionality of the combined power of China and the Russian Federation. As reported, economic assistance and huge loans provided by China cause concern to other countries that are unable to repay their debts, with the exception of land and mineral resources. As a result, society is more wary of China than ever. In addition, residents know little about China and the Belt and Road initiative, and some messages even convey incorrect information.

Over the years since the construction of the Belt and Road, the results achieved are obvious to everyone. In 2018 alone, the total volume of trade in imports and exports of Chinese goods with countries along the Belt and Road reached 1.3 trillion US dollars. China's projects in Tajikistan are concentrated in the mining industry, electric power, transport and communication infrastructure, agricultural production and other areas. China not only helped Tajikistan achieve energy and transport independence, but also helped Tajikistan achieve basic industrialization and even transform Tajikistan from an importing country into an exporting country in some areas.

The Russian media, represented by the TASS news agency, highly appreciated the Belt and Road initiative. This indicates the positive attitude of the Russian government to the Belt and Road initiative. At the same time, however, we must soberly realize that in some ways the Russian Federation does not have a completely symmetrical perception of the Belt and Road initiative and the message that China wants to convey, and even misinterpret it. Since almost all public perception of the Belt and Road initiative in Russia comes from the media, the information they rely on has been processed by the government or individuals, and its objectivity and reliability may be affected to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, China should attach great importance to the interpretation of the Belt and Road initiative and the presentation of related issues to the Russian media.

In order for Russians to correctly perceive the meaning of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, this article suggests several countermeasures: first, to accurately convey the concept of "discuss, build and share" to the people and deepen their understanding of China and the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. "Secondly, to strengthen the promotion of Chinese culture in Russia, to deeply develop humanistic cooperation between the two countries in the field of education, science, culture and sports, to make up for the lack of attention paid to humanistic exchanges and cooperation between China and the Russian Federation by the main media in the Russian Federation, and at the same time to promote "contacts between people". Thirdly, to attach great importance to the study of public opinion in the countries along the route, especially the analysis of public opinion in influential private media; fourthly, to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the main Russian media, jointly play the role of leading public opinion in the media of both countries, to highlight mutually beneficial cooperation and achievements in the construction of the Belt and Road, to deepen relations between Russia and China, as well as other participants.