Kuala Lumpur Consensus released at China-ASEAN media, think tank forum

Wong Chun Wai, chairman of Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), delivers a speech at the China-ASEAN Media and Think Tank Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

Media and think tanks from China and ASEAN should fully leverage their role as bridges and bonds, working together to collectively narrate the China-ASEAN story, showcasing the remarkable achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Xinhua) -- A consensus on media and think tank cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was released at the China-ASEAN Media and Think Tank Forum held in the Malaysian capital here on Friday.

According to the Kuala Lumpur Consensus document, attendees of the forum called on media and think tanks from China and ASEAN to jointly promote cultural exchanges and closer people-to-people ties, setting an exemplary model for Global South cooperation.

China and ASEAN play pivotal roles in advancing regional cooperation, fostering shared prosperity, maintaining stability, and elevating the status of Global South countries, the document noted.

Media and think tanks from China and ASEAN should fully leverage their role as bridges and bonds, working together to collectively narrate the China-ASEAN story, showcasing the remarkable achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation, it said.

Forum attendees recognize that media and think tanks must contribute to regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity in the face of major changes unseen in a century.

The attendees believe that cultural interactions and civilizational dialogues have become crucial pillars in strengthening China-ASEAN relations. Media and think tanks should champion respect for civilizational diversity, call on different civilizations to pool the wisdom and efforts of governments, enterprises, media, think tanks, and other diverse stakeholders.

The China-ASEAN Media and Think Tank Forum is held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

The consensus document affirmed that regional prosperity and stability is a shared aspiration of China and ASEAN member states. Media and think tanks should uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and play a unique role in maintaining lasting peace and driving development and prosperity in the region.

Attendees acknowledge that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) offers countries new opportunities for transformative development, but also brings unpredictable risks and challenges.

Media and think tanks should actively ride the wave of technological revolution, make good use of the advantages of AI, and promote the construction of an intelligent future with both innovative vitality and security as the bottom line, the consensus noted.

Co-hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and Bernama, the forum brought together approximately 260 representatives from more than 160 media outlets, think tanks, government agencies and enterprises across ASEAN countries and China.