| Fizah HAB |
MEDIA serves as a bridge for cultural exchanges and connectivity. Media exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and China enriched the ASEAN-China strategic partnership, said Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) Yang Xiuping.
She made these comments at the first ASEAN-China Media Cooperation forum at Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China on May 12.
Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr AKP Mocthan was the guest of honour.
Representatives from the Chinese Government, members of foreign Diplomatic Corps, ASEAN media representatives and local media members were also present.
Yang Xiuping highlighted the need for strong cooperation between ASEAN and China to synergise the Belt and Road Initiative and Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 as well as to formulate ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030.
She also highlighted Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s recent state visit to Indonesia and meeting with Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi during the launching ceremony of 15th anniversary of ASEAN-China strategic partnership.
“Premier Li spoke highly of the achievements of ASEAN and the role of the ASEAN Secretariat. He said ASEAN-China cooperation has gone far beyond the bilateral scope and has become an important force for promoting peace, stability and common prosperity in the region. China wishes to work with ASEAN to build a closer community with a shared future and is committed to be ASEAN’s partner for common development, peace, openness, progress, entrepreneurship, innovation and promoting inclusiveness and mutual learning,” she said.
On the importance of media in society, Dr AKP Mochtan said, “From environmental protection to poverty alleviation, strengthening micro, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) to promote culture and education, the media has a critical role to play whether as a purveyor of knowledge, voice of integrity, bridge for linkages, or even catalyst for change.”
“In the context of ASEAN, public perception is highly critical to the success of the regional integration process. Media is an important stakeholder that can raise awareness, promote understanding and correct any misperceptions about the ASEAN integration agenda,” he added.
Speaking on media cooperation on public discourse about ASEAN-China relations, he said, “As ASEAN-China partnership spans across the three ASEAN Community pillars of political security, economic and socio-cultural, the media has a vanguard role in crystallising the importance as well as the implications of such cooperation. The people of ASEAN and China need to understand that opportunities are abundant when China is ASEAN’s largest trading partner and continues to be ASEAN’s fourth largest external source of foreign direct investments, thus relying on our media colleagues to highlight the fact that there are opportunities for everyone under each and every area of cooperation between ASEAN and China.”
Panel sessions titled ‘Media Development Trends in ASEAN and China’ and ‘Roles of Media in Building ASEAN-China Community with a shared future’, were also held. The sessions were presented by media representatives from the 10 ASEAN member countries and guest speakers from Chinese media sectors, discussing current media trends and developments in promoting ASEAN-China relations.
A media networking meeting titled ‘Exploring New Path for ASEAN-China Media cooperation between representatives from both Chinese media and ASEAN media members’, was moderated by the Director of Information and Public Relations Division, ASEAN-China Centre Vithit Powattanasuk. The meeting focussed on new media cooperation, news and media personnel exchange and media capacity building.
The forum, hosted by the ACC, aimed to promote bilateral media cooperation among ASEAN member countries and China. The forum also highlighted the need to grasp the new trend of ASEAN-China relations, by covering economic and social development of both sides in an objective and fair manner, disseminating timely information on friendship and cooperation and encouraging the public to join and support ASEAN-China practical cooperation.
The forum also sought to forge long-term mechanisms for exchanges and cooperation, institutionalising media platform by setting up a more stable and smoother channel to better facilitate exchanges and cooperation.
The ACC is an inter-governmental organisation co-founded by 10 ASEAN member states and China. Since its inception in 2011, ACC has given full play to its role as a one-stop information and activities centre to promote practical cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, education, culture, tourism as well as information and media. By the end of 2017, ACC accomplished over 120 flagship projects and organised or participated in over 600 activities, receiving wide acclamation.
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