Call made for greater cooperation, more innovation in Asian media

The President of China Media Group, Shen Haixiong, has called for media organizations across Asia to raise their level of strategic cooperation so that the voices of people across the region are well represented on the world stage.

Shen Haixiong, the president of China Media Group (2nd right), speaks at a media forum at the fourth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. [Photo: China Media Group]

Shen was delivering the keynote speech at the "Asia in the News against a Background of Political and Economic Change" forum on the sidelines of the fourth Eastern Economic Forum on Wednesday. During his speech, Shen said that Asia has a limited say in the global media arena, which makes it incumbent upon regional media organizations to strengthen their cooperation in order to adapt to the changing global landscape.

On the strategic level, Shen called for Asia's media organizations to develop long-term plans that identify opportunities for strategic partnerships. The plans should encourage the development of activities such as regional media forums, and exchanges between young journalists.

Shen emphasized the importance of innovation, calling for it to be the top priority for media organizations in the region. Specifically, he would like to see innovation across all aspects of content development, the more efficient use of existing resources such as digital media platforms, and better integration between traditional and new media. He also called on the region's media organizations to further step up their efforts to deepen and expand their cooperation to bring together the different peoples of the region.

Shen Haixiong, the president of China Media Group, is interviewed by Russian media outlet RT TV at a media forum at the fourth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. [Photo: China Media Group]

Shen Haixiong highlighted that this year marks the 40th anniversary of China's policy of Reform and Opening Up. He said that President Xi Jinping is working to build on its successes through China's Belt and Road Initiative, and the opportunities that it can provide for greater collaboration between media organizations in the region.

The Eastern Economic Forum is a platform for communication and consultation established by Russia's President Vladimir Putin in 2015. Held every year, it aims to push for the economic development of the Far East and expand cooperation in the Asia- Pacific region. The "Asia in the News against a Background of Political and Economic Change" forum was focused on providing Asian media organizations with a more prominent voice in discussions about important events in the region and on the world stage.