The 2017 Asia Media Summit opened in grand style on June 6 in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, Shandong province, as more than 450 government officials, media professionals, scholars and stakeholders from across the world gathered to share their thoughts on the future of broadcasting and publishing.

Organized by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) and jointly hosted by China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and the Qingdao municipal government, the annual event attracted high-level decision makers from Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Government officials from Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America pose for a group photo at the 2017 Asia Media Summit on June 6 in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: qdfbwx]

The three-day event will feature discussions on many issues related to this year's theme, "Media on the Frontline of Global Development". This will include events on topics such as "How Media can Shape the Development Agenda", "Media Responsibility and Global Issues: Activism or Neutrality?", "Media for No Poverty: Creating Public Awareness and Engagement" and "Strategies for High-Quality Programming: Concept, Content and Formats".