Zhai Huisheng, former Party chief of the All-China Journalists' Association, gives a speech during the Belt and Road National Internet Media Alliance Communication Forum?in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, on June 2, 2017. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Representatives from nearly 200 Chinese internet news outlets recently participated in a forum in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, to discuss their roles in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The summit, from June 1 to 4, was held by the Belt and Road Internet Media Alliance. The forum was designed to offer a platform for internet news practitioners to exchange ideas and discuss roles against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013.

Zhai Huisheng, former Party chief of the All-China Journalists' Association, said, to better promote the initiative, the media needed to cater to the interest of netizens and abide by the laws of internet communication.

"We should further explore the history and?find the most intriguing stories for the readers," he said in a keynote speech during the event.

Zhai also said news outlets should focus on culture, as well as look to consolidate the ties between Chinese people and people from other countries through culture.

"The Belt and Road Initiative involves various scientific questions which need attention," he said.

Wang Jin, director of the International Energy Institute at the National Development and Reform Commission, gives a speech during the forum in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, on June 2, 2017. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Wang Jin, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, said he believed the media was a weakness in the promotion of the initiative.

"The media should take the responsibility to spread China's traditional culture and help people in countries involved in the initiative to better understand China's goal for mutual prosperity," he said.

The summit also involved a range of panel discussions concerning topics including media convergence and international communication.

The event marked the launch of a media interview tour, which?will sent reporters to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The forum also received special media support from chinadaily.com.cn.

Yangzhou, a major city on China's east coast, was an important hub for the ancient Maritime Silk Road 1,200 years ago, and now functions as a key juncture in the Belt and Road Initiative.