Guo Weimin, vice minister of the State Council Information Office of China. (Photo/China Report)

Aiming to strengthen people-to-people connectivity between China and ASEAN countries, the 2019 ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum took place in Beijing on Tuesday, serving as a warm-up for the upcoming Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilisations.

The event, which has attracted political figures, media representatives and scholars from China and all ASEAN countries, focuses mainly on China’s media cooperation with ASEAN nations, after Chinese President Xi Jinping commended the role of the media in promoting the relationship between China and ASEAN nations in a congratulatory letter sent to the opening ceremony of the 2019 China-ASEAN Year of Media Exchanges in February.

“China and ASEAN countries share a cultural affinity and enjoy a long-standing relationship. For the past few years, media outlets from both sides have deepened their cooperation, jointly producing multi-language documentaries and articles, as well as sharing resources and materials,” said Guo Weimin, vice minister of the State Council Information Office of China.

2019 ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum kicks off in Beijing. (Photo/China Report)

According to Guo, media outlets from both sides should take the responsibility to promote peaceful cooperation and dialogue in the region, as well as tackling issues hindering regional stability.

Echoing Guo, AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, noted that strengthened media cooperation between China and ASEAN nations would further promote regional stability, as well as helping the public from both sides better understand each other.

“I believe that media outlets from China and ASEAN nations can cooperate in areas such as upgrading media skills, improving media effectiveness, as well as boosting engagement with citizens from both sides,” said Mochtan.

The forum organizers have pledged to build a platform for international communication and cultural exchange, inviting young media professionals from ASEAN nations to China, as well as strengthening technological cooperation in the media sphere.