ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum Held in Shenyang

The ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum, organised by the China International Communications Group (CICG) and the ASEAN-China Centre, opened on Tuesday in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province in northeastern China. The forum focused on the social media sector and initiated the China-ASEAN Social Media Creator Plan Initiative, which aims to encourage young people from China and ASEAN to deepen friendships through active and innovative digital narratives.

In his speech, CICG Director Chang Bo stated that artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing and other digital technologies are experiencing increasingly rapid iteration, making digitalisation, intelligence and integrated development a common trend among media. Noting that China and ASEAN have 1.125 billion and 480 million internet users respectively, the potential for digital market growth on both sides is highly promising and provides broad space for cooperation in digital technology development, digital platform ecosystems and content innovation.

Khammone Chanthakith, a senior communications official from Laos, said that China-ASEAN media cooperation is developing rapidly, represented not only by the results of technological and press exchanges but also seen in the strengthened foundation of trust between the two sides. He also mentioned that bilateral cooperation could be expanded to include joint content creation, talent cultivation and the sharing of media experiences.

A series of roundtable discussions on technological innovation and the social responsibility borne by media were held on the sidelines of the forum, where participants highlighted the media’s role in telling stories of China-ASEAN friendship and promoting better mutual understanding between the peoples of both sides. Since it was first held in 2018, the ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum has become an important mechanism platform for cooperation between the media of both parties.