China, ASEAN seek to deepen media cooperation

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Media outlets from China and Southeast Asian countries say they are eager to expand cooperation in a bid to cement China-ASEAN ties, following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Indonesia earlier this week.

“Media plays a critical role in raising public awareness of understanding and corrects any misconceptions about each other,” Lu Cairong, Vice President of China International Publishing Group (CIPG), said at the first China-ASEAN media cooperation forum on Saturday.

Co-hosted by CIPG and ASEAN-China Center, the forum gathered nearly 100 Chinese and ASEAN officials, journalists and scholars in Wuxi in eastern Jiangsu Province on Saturday.

Dr. AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, delivers a keynote speech on China-ASEAN media cooperation forum. /CGTN Photo

Fighting fake news is high on the agenda. “Nowadays, people can easily access news or any information on their mobile phones. The digital news platform can be utilized to mislead China-ASEAN relationship, as false news has become rampant these day,” Dr. AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, warned on the forum.

He added that media from both sides should cooperate and provide verified and quality information.

As China’s leading TV and online news outlet in multiple foreign languages, China Global Television Network (CGTN) is actively seeking such cooperation.

Yang Xiuping, who served as Chinese ambassador to ASEAN from 2012 to 2015, speaks at the China-ASEAN media cooperation forum. /CGTN Photo

“Except just expanding our overseas broadcast and sharing our news resources with foreign media outlets, CGTN is also working with key foreign TV stations such as Australia’s Sky News and Russia Today to co-anchor debate programs on hotspot issues and simultaneously air them on both platforms,” Shen Xiaomeng, Deputy Director of CGTN’s English Channel, said at the forum.

Politicians and journalists say the successful media cooperation models between China and other regions can be replicated in China-ASEAN cooperation.

Media outlets from China and ASEAN countries also discussed embracing digital technologies and expanding their presence on new media.

“But the core of our media work should still be the most traditional values: to report fairly without preconceptions,” Han Yonghong, Associate Editor of Singapore’s leading newspaper Lianhe Zaobao (Union Morning Report), said on the forum.

Zhang Ye, Director-General of the International Liaison Bureau of State Council Information Office, delivers a keynote speech at the China-ASEAN media cooperation forum. /CGTN Photo‍

2018 marks the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, with Chinese officials saying the bilateral ties are now “at an historic best”.

“Media has a choice,” said Dr. Mochtan, “They can either build bridges of understanding or create walls of misinformation.”