BERNAMA CHAIRMAN PROPOSES ANNUAL ASEAN-CHINA MEDIA AND THINK TANK FORUM  

By Norsyafawati Ab Wahab and Wong Cheng Hau

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai has proposed for the ASEAN-China Media and Think Tank Forum to be held annually in different ASEAN countries or in China to strengthen regional collaboration.

He said continuous engagement through such platforms is crucial to promote mutual understanding and exchanges and advance cooperation in areas such as digital innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) and cultural heritage.

“It will be good if there are similar ASEAN-China Media and Think Tank Forums each year in different ASEAN countries or in China,” he said in his speech during a plenary session at the inaugural forum, co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and Bernama, here on Friday.

Wong also hopes that the outcomes of this forum would lead to greater collaboration between ASEAN and China media agencies and think tanks.

He said media groups in ASEAN and China can initiate joint programmes in terms of content as well as AI training and support, which is certainly a part of strengthening the Global South engagement.

He also suggested that that innovation hubs can be set up for innovation and creativity to address local challenges and contribute to global knowledge.

"ASEAN and Chinese media groups need to work together to explore AI-driven analytics and AI applications to improve our productivity and revenue such as new business models," he said.

He also highlighted that AI can facilitate cultural exchange by breaking down language barriers and enabling real-time translation and content creation.

"This one-day forum is not enough. We must meet again to discuss bias and fairness, and to address the issue of bias in AI algorithms and the importance of developing fair and unbiased AI systems," he said.

Meanwhile, Xinhua News Agency Editor-in-Chief Lyu Yansong said ASEAN and China, which has a population of over 600 million and 1.4 billion people respectively, hold a huge economic potential, and both sides have been working together to build a super-sized market. 

“This carries significant importance and far-reaching historical implications for stabilising global industrial and supply chains, and for upholding a rules-based trading system and free trade,” he said.

He added that China and ASEAN have strong complementary economies, with vast potential for cooperation in areas such as industrial digital transformation, AI and green economic development.

The one-day forum was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof earlier today, with Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and his deputy Teo Nie Ching among those present.

Also in attendance were Secretary-General of the Communications Ministry Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, Bernama’s Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, and Bernama’s Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

Jointly organised by Bernama and Xinhua News Agency under the theme ‘Strengthening ASEAN-China Cooperation’, the event drew over 200 participants – including influential media leaders, representatives, senior government officials and experts from across the ASEAN region and China – to deepen engagement in the ever-evolving media landscape.

--BERNAMA