Media cooperation urged to boost regional economic recovery

Media cooperation among the six countries along the Lancang-Mekong River has played a crucial role in promoting regional economic recovery and strengthening people-to-people exchanges in the post-COVID era, officials and experts said on Tuesday during the 2023 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Media Summit in Beijing.

They called for continued coordination among mainstream media outlets of these countries in order to advance cooperation and boost regional economic recovery.

The Lancang-Mekong River flows through China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. It is known as the Lancang River in China and the Mekong outside the country.

In a world plagued by uncertainties, media organizations should play an active role in guiding public opinion, providing in-depth and comprehensive news reports of the cooperation among regional countries and elaborating the spirit of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, said Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The cooperation mechanism has made great achievements such as the operation of the China-Laos Railway at the end of 2021, which has brought tangible benefits to the peoples of the countries involved, Li said.

He called on media outlets to uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, carry forward the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation spirit, shoulder responsibilities and gather strength from all sides, in order to rally stronger public opinion to strengthen win-win cooperation and people-to-people bonds among countries in the region.

Tuo Zhen, publisher of People's Daily, spoke highly of media cooperation among the countries in the region. In the past few years, media organizations of the six countries have not only reported well on the progress and achievements of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation but have also enhanced the voice of regional media outlets in the international public opinion field, he said.

Media organizations should become the bridge of communication among people in the region, boosting mutual understanding of the six countries, he added.

Countries along the river are good neighbors and partners, connected by a shared future, said Qian Hongshan, vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. Media organizations should guide public opinion and act as the communicator of ideas and information, he said.

Media outlets should let the truth speak, join hands to tell the world about the regional cooperation landscape and lay the foundation for building a better community with a shared future for Asia, Qian added.

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, media organizations should continue to consolidate political trust among regional countries and make the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism a role model for regional cooperation, said Sun Shangwu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily.

He called on media colleagues to pay more attention to people-to-people exchanges, especially those among Generation Z.

Young people are the future of the world, so it is very important to better integrate them into cultural and people-to-people exchanges in the region, he said.

Vu Mai Hoang, a member of the leader board of Vietnam's Nhan Dan newspaper and editor-in-chief of Nhan Dan Weekend, highlighted that the cooperation between China and the other five countries has yielded rich results despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Official data shows China's trade with the five countries reached $416.7 billion in 2022, up 5 percent year-on-year.

Strengthened media cooperation in the future will further deepen friendship among countries in the region and promote regional sustainable development, he said.