Nordic Chinese Newspaper was established in Stockholm on Saturday with the support of Chinese Union of all Chinese associations in Sweden. The unveiling ceremony was held on the same day with about 100 participants.
Zong Jinbo, President of the newly launched newspaper and chief editor spoke at the opening ceremony.

"The main purpose of establishing a Chinese newspaper is to serve the Chinese people in Sweden by providing them with news in Sweden, China as well as in the world. It also serves as a link between Sweden and China in exchange of information and strengthen the overseas Chinese relations with the motherland," Zong said.

"The newspaper is also aiming at helping the overseas Chinese better understand the Nordic societies, melt in the mainstream society as well as advance the overseas Chinese status," Zong said.

Chinese ambassador Chen Mingming also attended the launching ceremony and put forward to his good wishes.

"It is not easy to launch a newspaper in the current competitive situation when the internet media poses large challenges to the traditional media. Thus it is important that the Chinese newspaper should be able to provide exclusive news with its own special style," said the ambassador.

The focus should be news in the Nordic region and especially the news in the oversea Chinese circles, he proposed.

"More reports should focus on the challenges and opportunities in life and work among overseas Chinese and on how to help people to develop to their full potential. There must be special angle and perspective," Ambassador Chen said.

"There is a great advantage for the newspaper in terms of source on overseas Chinese since it is sponsored by the Chinese union, the other advantage is to report the relations between overseas Chinese and the motherland, this is also something other newspaper cannot report," he said.

It is also good to put forward key issues so that people can debate about it. For example, how the financial crisis affect the Chinese business which is mainly the restaurants in the Nordic region, how is the life of the second and third generations of the overseas Chinese, how to keep their Chinese root, how the overseas Chinese can melt in the mainstream society to avoid being marginalized for a long time, the ambassador said.
The ambassador encourages debate in the Chinese media about issues facing the overseas Chinese people in Sweden as well as the Nordic region.
The newspaper will be a biweekly at the beginning and gradually increase to weekly and even more often.

Duong Long, honorary Chairman of the Chinese Union of all Chinese associations in Sweden said it is very good to have Chinese newspaper because overseas Chinese can express their wishes through it and the issue of the second generation of Chinese overseas is also of much concern.
"What the ambassador talked about the second generation issue is very important," said the senior overseas Chinese who is also the founder of the Chaozhou Townfellows Society and a member of the Association Promoting Peaceful Reunification of China in Sweden.

He came to Sweden in 1979 from Vietnam even though his hometown was Guangzhou, south China.

Source: Xuefei Chen, People's Daily Online correspondent in Stockholm