KUWAIT, July 25, 2009 (KUNA) -- China is launching an Arabic-language TV channel to show the Middle East and North Africa the "real" China, said a statement on Saturday. According to the BBC, China Central Television's station will broadcast news, entertainment and cultural programs 24 hours a day. It is part of the Chinese government's plan to promote its own viewpoints by encouraging state-controlled media organisations to go global. Beijing, while saying that some foreign broadcasters misrepresent China, tightly restricts its own media. "It is imperative for us to be a multi-language, multi-faceted and multi-perspective broadcaster," said Zhang Changming, vice-president of CCTV. Speaking at a launch event, he added: "We hope the world can know China and China can know the rest of the world even better." CCTV already has four international channels that broadcast in English, French and Spanish, as well as Chinese. The new Arabic channel will be accessible for nearly 300 million people in 22 Arabic-speaking countries from July 25. The broadcaster declined to comment on how much the channel was costing and how many viewers it is hoping to attract. It will have an initial staff of about 80 and is being fronted by Arabic-speaking Chinese presenters.