Delegates attend the Asia-Pacific Media Forum in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, on Saturday. --Photo Asia-Pacific Media Forum

Asia-Pacific media vow closer cooperation

Shenzhen, China: Media organisations across the Asia-Pacific have pledged closer cooperation in technology and skills to strengthen journalism in a rapidly changing digital age.
The call was made at the Asia-Pacific Media Forum in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, which opened on Saturday under the theme “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action”.
The forum brought together media professionals from countries across the region to share views on the future of journalism, technology and cooperation.
A member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of its Publicity Department, Li Shulei, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech.
Speaking to the Vientiane Times on the sidelines of the forum, the Editor-in-Chief of the Pasaxon newspaper, Mr Syvanh Homsayadeth, said participation in the forum allowed Lao media professionals to gain new knowledge, share ideas, and learn from the experiences of foreign media organisations.
He said the forum could help Lao media personnel to improve digital content production, multimedia storytelling, and the use of new technology to reach younger audiences.

Mr Yasiru Ranaraja	Mr Andrew Drummond	Mr Soy Sopheap

“Media organisations can no longer work in isolation,” Mr Syvanh said.
He said stronger international media collaboration would allow media organisations to share news, professional experiences and perspectives, while helping Lao stories reach wider international audiences.
The need for greater cooperation is particularly important as artificial intelligence and other digital technologies rapidly change how news is produced and consumed.
Editor-in-Chief of Australian Associated Press, Mr Andrew Drummond, said media organisations could not afford to ignore artificial intelligence but needed to use it responsibly.
“We need to make sure we introduce it into our workflows while keeping humans in the loop.”
Mr Drummond said artificial intelligence could help journalists with repetitive tasks and improve newsroom efficiency, allowing them to spend more time on work requiring professional judgement.
Australian Associated Press allows its staff to use Google Gemini and has developed an artificial intelligence policy to guide its use while maintaining editorial standards.
He said one of his main concerns was allowing technology to go too far, particularly if human involvement was removed completely from published work.
Founding Director of the Sri Lanka Belt and Road Information Network, Mr Yasiru Ranaraja, said technology should also be supported by stronger cooperation and journalism ethics.
“Technology is not enough. We need consensus and strong journalism ethics.”
Mr Ranaraja said media organisations across the Asia-Pacific should work together to promote accurate reporting and help the public understand facts and figures.
He also called for greater capacity building and technology sharing to help developing countries improve their media infrastructure.
Countries with fewer resources often need better equipment, communication systems and specialised training, he said, adding that regional cooperation could help address these gaps.
Chairman of DAP News in Cambodia, Mr Soy Sopheap, said developing countries could benefit from training and knowledge sharing with countries that have more advanced media technology.
He said artificial intelligence was already helping journalists with tasks such as translation and working with information in foreign languages.
“But we cannot abandon human thinking,” he said, stressing that artificial intelligence should remain a tool to assist journalists rather than replace them.
The forum took place as 2026 marks the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation “China Year”, with China preparing to host the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
Participants expressed confidence that the meeting would produce positive results and help take regional cooperation to a higher level.

By Phonepaseuth Volakhun
 (Latest Update September 8, 2026)