International delegates at Kunming forum highlight media's role in forging equity, enhancing mutual learning among civilizations
2025-09-22 09:41:10
The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road opens in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province on September 16, 2025. Photo: Xue Ke/GT
In early autumn, Kunming, the capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province, is adorned with the shimmering waters of Dianchi Lake and the mist-capped Xishan Mountain. It's against this serene backdrop that Yunnan Haigeng Convention Center takes center stage - on its steps, a banner has become a focal point. Emblazoned with the theme "Shared Media Responsibility for Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations," it draws attendees to snap photos. Step inside the lecture hall, guides for simultaneous interpretation listed at least nine languages covered during the event, including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Lao, and Thai, marking the beginning of a far-reaching media dialogue and a profound exchange of ideas.
From September 16 to 17, the 2025 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road, co-hosted by the People's Daily, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Yunnan Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Yunnan Province, was held in Kunming. More than 200 foreign delegates from 87 countries, as well as international and regional organizations and 165 media outlets and institutions, attended the forum.
Centered around the theme "Shared Media Responsibility for Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations," participants shared vivid examples of BRI cooperation and explored innovative approaches to cross-cultural communication. In moments of agreement and note-taking, a picture of equal dialogue among civilizations and collaborative engagement among global media unfolded, making the forum a vivid testament to the high-quality joint construction of the BRI.
A silk road of shared fruits
During the tea break at the forum, the venue buzzed with excitement. A group of vloggers and reporters wearing traditional Southeast Asian attire gathered, and as their cameras clicked, they cheered: "We love Yunnan!"
"We didn't know each other before. It's this forum that brought us together, and 'loving Yunnan' is our true feeling," Jaruwan Udomsab, a Thai vlogger who lived in Yunnan for a long time, told the Global Times.
Jaruwan specially named her Facebook account "Yunnan Stories." She shared that Yunnan is her second hometown. "The climate here is pleasant, like spring all year round, but what attracts me more is its diverse ethnic cultures and natural scenery. Every exploration brings new surprises," Jaruwan said.
When talking about the BRI, Jaruwan, citing the China-Laos Railway as an example, said that "the benefits of this railway are tangible. My Lao friends say it's now much easier to travel to China for tourism or studies. Thai durians and mangosteens can reach Chinese friends' dining tables faster; and Chinese apples can be delivered to Thai markets via the railway."
At the forum's opening ceremony, Jaruwan further touched upon the power of the Belt and Road Initiative through storytelling sessions. She learned that some 620 years ago, Zheng He, a navigator from Yunnan, commanded what was then the world's largest fleet on seven diplomatic expeditions, reaching as far as Kenya in Africa. Today, the train of the "Zheng He" Sea-Road-Rail International Multimodal Transport Service races along the China-Laos Railway to Vientiane, and reaches Thailand, Singapore and Bangladesh through other three routes, giving new life to the ancient story of connectivity in the contemporary era.
Data shows the power of this connectivity more intuitively: In the four years since the China-Laos Railway began operation, its freight services have covered 19 countries, transporting over 3,300 types of commodities.
Zwe Thet Paing, radio DJ host of Myanmar International Radio, told the Global Times that what excites him most is the growing appeal of the BRI. "It is bringing friendship and opportunities to more people."
The ASEAN Plus Three (10+3) media delegation, participating in the 2025 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road, tour the Yunnan Cultural Expo in Kunming on September 18 2025. Photo: Xue Ke/GT
A platform for spreading positive energy
At the forum, several journalists mentioned "Zheng He" Sea-Road-Rail International Multimodal Transport Service that was first launched in July this year, which excited Lali Mwamaka Sharifu from Kenya.
Sharifu had another special gain at the forum: At the opening ceremony, she received the Nomination Prize at the second Silk Road Global News Awards for her documentary, The Kenya's "Chinese Girl."
The award-winning documentary focuses on the outcomes of BRI cooperation, using Sharifu's personal experience of studying traditional Chinese medicine in China as a thread to weave together centuries of friendly China-Africa exchanges.
For generations, Sharifu's family has passed down oral traditions claiming descent from sailors of Zheng's fleet during his westward voyages. This special connection makes her particularly attentive to cross-cultural exchanges. Now that she has won the award, she told the Global Times that this honor has strengthened her belief in the power of media to tell true stories.
Sharifu said she has observed that in the past, many beneficial projects brought about by China-Africa cooperation were overshadowed due to insufficient communication, which is exactly the "gap" that media professionals should fill. She stated that in the past time, He connected different civilizations peacefully through his voyages. "In this era, we need more people like Zheng He to promote connectivity. Many peers at this forum embody such pioneering spirit and goodwill."
The Kenyan girl chose "Xia Ruifu" as her Chinese name, which implies beauty and fragrance. In her view, an important mission of the media is to convey such merit and gather inspiring strength. Sharifu believes that the forum provides an open and inclusive dialogue platform for media from all countries, and also brings valuable experience and ideas to the "record keepers" of the current era.
Amin Alhassan, general-director of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, shares similar view as Sharifuh. He believes that the theme of this forum, "Shared Media Responsibility for Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations," is a timely reminder. He believes that China provides a good example of journalism that is oriented toward solutions.
"For us in Ghana and in Africa, we want to tell stories that reflects our hopes and aspirations and not dwell on stories that invokes our fears and frustrations. We want to tell stories that serve as a lighthouse to guide our people to take their destiny in their own hands and work towards the development of our communities," Alhassan said.
Ben Chacko, editor of the UK's Morning Star, told the Global Times that the forum is an international event with strong multicultural characteristics and an open attitude, and its core has always been centered on peace and cooperation.
"Many media outlets from BRI partner countries shared positive stories at the forum about how the initiative has improved people's livelihoods, these stories have injected 'human touch' into international cooperation and are wonderful examples of civilizational exchanges. In contrast, it is regrettable that the US and some Western countries have been promoting radical unilateralist narratives," he said.
Sudruetai Lertkasem, director-general of the Government Public Relations Department of Thailand, specifically mentioned a concept similar to "human touch" at the forum. She stated that as a bridge for civilizational exchanges, the media shoulders the mission of disseminating true information, enhancing trust, and building consensus. "In a world that often feels fragmented, our role as media practitioners is not merely to report the news, but to build bridges of understanding, foster mutual respect, and celebrate our shared humanity," said Sudruetai Lertkasem.
"Media connectivity is the lifeblood of this collaboration. It's not just about linking our newsrooms or sharing content. It's about creating a dense web of human connection that promotes mutual understanding and trust. We must use our platforms to tell stories that unite, to highlight our common goals, and to show the world that our cooperation is a force for good," Surattha said at the Eleventh ASEAN Plus Three (10+3) Media Cooperation Forum, a sub-forum of the 2025 Media Cooperation Forum on Belt and Road.
A realm for building consensus
Leonardo Attuch, founder and CEO of Brazil 247, used the phrase "truly enjoyed" to describe his experience of attending the forum. He said he particularly cherished the opportunity to have in-depth exchanges with fellow journalists from other Global South countries, as well as the insightful contributions from media professionals and Chinese authorities.
Attuch said the "genuine trust" felt everywhere at the forum left a deep impression on him. He believes this trust stems from the sharing of development opportunities and mutual respect between civilizations. In an interview with the Global Times, he specifically refuted the "debt trap" claim often used in some Western media narratives, "But in reality, the BRI partner countries express deep satisfaction with the cooperation."
Attuch said this media cooperation forum has further strengthened his belief to open up the platform of Brazil 247 to more Global South countries, so that more voices can be heard. "The Global South must strengthen media cooperation, not only in content exchange but also in sharing experience and deepening cooperation in fields such as social media and artificial intelligence. Only in this way can we jointly shape a more equitable narrative and build a more peaceful world," Attuch said.
Attuch's opinion echoed the address made by Siyavuya Mzantsi, editor-in-chief of South Africa's Cape Times, at the main forum. Mzantsi proposed: "We should not be shy to commend nations that place multilateralism at the center of their development. As the world desperately needs global leaders driven by a shared future for humankind, let us remind ourselves that cooperation, not confrontation should prevail." He called for more leaders gathered at the forum committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, who build bridges of understanding and bridge the gaps between civilizations.
Alejandro Gómez, vice president of Prensa Latina News Agency in Cuba, also pointed out that the joint construction of the BRI, along with the successive launch of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, are of decisive significance for advancing dialogue between civilizations. He firmly expressed his support for these initiatives aimed at working for the common future of mankind and recognized China's leading role in upholding multilateralism, fairness, justice, and common progress.
"We firmly believe that with concerted efforts, we can make the voices of BRI partner countries and Global South countries louder, jointly promote peace, justice, and development, and support the just causes of our peoples," he said.
At the end of the forum, a Global Times reporter noticed that a media professional from Africa carefully put his forum pass into his bag. This carefully kept forum pass is a specific mark of cross-regional exchanges at this forum. Under the framework of the BRI, countless such tokens are converging into vibrant practices of Global South media deepening exchanges and cooperation, jointly shaping a fair international narrative, and adding warm and solid support to the path of humanity's common development.
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