The media in East Asian countries should expand their capacity building and focus on issues that Asia has a common interest in to create favorable atmosphere for regional cooperation and development, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said yesterday.
"The Asian media should highlight the issues conducive to regional unity and cooperation, and adopt a constructive and well-meaning attitude towards disputes," Liu said at the opening ceremony of the first 10+3 Media Cooperation Forum that was hosted by the largest Chinese newspaper, People's Daily.
The term 10+3 refers to the 10 members of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
At the forum, called "Strengthen Media Cooperation, Deliver Asian Voice", Liu urged the Asian media to have more exchanges and deepen their cooperation to enable the largest continent to have a stronger voice in the international arena.
The Asian media need better communication and coordination to cover Asian affairs properly and comment on world affairs from an Asian perspective, he said.
The one-day forum was the result of Premier Wen Jiabao's suggestion at the 10th 10+3 summit in Cebu, the Philippines, in January. Wen had said media exchanges and cooperation among 10+3 member states needs to be strengthened to extend the influence of East Asia.
The forum brought together over 20 leading agencies from 13 (10+3) countries to strengthen networks and friendship and establish an alliance to promote cooperation in the region.
Suchela Phachaiyapoom, senior public affairs officer in the ASEAN Secretariat said the forum was "very timely" because the 10+3 process is entering its 10th year of cooperation.
She said the leaders of 10+3 countries are expected to endorse the second Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation in November that will identify opportunities and challenges apart from offering strategic guidance for cooperation.
The forum provided an opportunity for leading news decision-makers in Asia to get to know each other, she said. "It's an excellent platform to share views, ideas, and explore the pooling of resources to strengthen East Asia cooperation and community building."
Qu Yingpu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, explored the ways thorough which Asia's voice can be heard louder around the globe.
Asia is politically and culturally a diverse continent and the media cannot succeed in Asia by just imitating their Western counterparts, he said.
"Developing Asia's own form of journalism is the way out of the dilemma of being beaten by the Western media, and the global trend also encourages the Asian media to forge closer cooperation through channels such as the Asia News Network," Qu said.
Many of the participants agreed that the media's role should go far beyond just providing information. Instead, they can become powerful tools for promotion of mutual understanding, trust and people-to-people contact building in order to narrow the cultural and historical differences.
Jeong-Woo Kil, publisher at large of JoongAng Daily, said that in some cases the major media could play a positive role in preventing controversies between countries and cultures from worsening.
Source: China Daily
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