The Yantai International Communication Center marks its one-year anniversary on Dec 23. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

Yantai International Communication Center (YICC), the inaugural municipal-level international communication hub in Shandong province, recently marked its one-year anniversary. A commemorative event took place on Dec 23 at the Yantai Broadcast and Television Building to honor the occasion.

During the event, the Yantai-Buyeo gun Media Alliance, Shandong Korean Editorial Center, and the International Student Cultural Practice Base of Ludong University were formally established. A group of international students and 10 photographers joined efforts to showcase Yantai to a global audience. Furthermore, the YICC signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Yantai Translators Association.

Since its inception on Dec 20, 2023, the YICC has made remarkable strides in fostering cultural exchanges between China and other nations, constructing a diverse communication network, and expanding the overseas viewership of top-tier content.

To date, the English Facebook account "Yantai of China" has received over 500,000 followers. The "Discover Yantai" X accounts in English, Japanese, and Korean languages have collectively amassed over 100 million views. The "Hello World, I am Yantai" micro-websites in Russian and Korean have garnered a total of 57 million visits, with 81.3 percent of these visits originating from international IP addresses.

Since 2024, Yantai has been actively cultivating the "Yantai Overseas Media Account Cluster". This cluster orchestrates a thematic event each month, with the Facebook accounts of Yantai and its affiliated districts and counties engaging in synchronized online outreach, effectively heightening Yantai's visibility on global social media platforms.

Looking towards the future, the YICC will further concentrate on strengthening its international communication capabilities. It aims to host a series of vibrant cultural activities to stimulate artistic endeavors, cultural exchanges, trade in cultural goods, and the development of cultural brands. Additionally, the center will establish a content production system centered around new media to generate more engaging cross-media products.