Photo: Phan Van Hung, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Nhandan Newspaper, Vietnam

The Eleventh ASEAN Plus Three (10+3) Media Cooperation Forum was held in Kunming, the capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province, on the afternoon of September 17. Under the theme "Increase Inter-connectivity for Common Development and Shared Benefits," 13 representatives from mainstream media outlets across different countries delivered speeches or keynote speeches centered on this topic. Multiple media guests also engaged in on-site dialogues and exchanges on topics including "Foster New Growth Drivers and Share New Development Opportunities." Phan Van Hung, deputy editor-in-chief of Nhandan Newspaper, Vietnam, delivered a keynote speech at the forum. The following is the full text of the speech:

Distinguished leaders of the People's Daily, representatives and experts from media institutions and academic circles of ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea,

It is my honor to attend and address the Eleventh ASEAN Plus Three (10+3) Media Cooperation Forum on behalf of the leadership of the Nhandan Newspaper. I extend my gratitude to the People's Daily for their meticulous arrangements regarding content, agenda, and logistics. I also convey sincere greetings to all distinguished guests and colleagues from participating countries. May this forum achieve great success by offering diverse perspectives on regional and global development connectivity, particularly proposing recommendations for media's role in promoting regional development linkages, fostering public consensus, and enhancing East Asian cooperation as a highlight of global collaboration.

The world is undergoing profound and complex changes where peace, development, and cooperation remain the mainstream. However, challenges such as economic and technological competition, regional conflicts, religious and ethnic tensions, territorial disputes, along with non-traditional security threats including environmental pollution, natural disasters, pandemics, climate change, and transnational crimes, are increasingly prominent. In this context, it is imperative to strengthen comprehensive inter-connectivity and development linkages to jointly address global or regional challenges that no single country can resolve alone. 

East Asia is home to some of the world's most dynamic economies, including ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea. We are pleased to observe that initiatives, mechanisms, and agreements enhancing connectivity and development linkages are delivering significant results. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), signed in Hanoi on November 15, 2020, and effective from January 2022, has facilitated economic exchanges and increased trade volumes, establishing one of the world's leading free trade zones. 

Recently, China and the 10 ASEAN countries have fully completed negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), marking a breakthrough in economic and trade relations encompassing new areas such as the digital economy, green economy, and supply chains, with the goal of building a comprehensive, modern, and mutually beneficial agreement for deeper regional economic integration.

Vietnam pursues an independent, all-round and diversified foreign policy, promoting multilateralism and diversification of international relations. As a trustworthy friend, partner, and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam actively participates in regional and global development cooperation aligned with its capabilities and needs. Within ASEAN, Vietnam engages proactively in the construction of three pillars, comprised of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), and participates in sub-regional mechanisms such as ASEAN Plus Three (10+3) and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) . 

China and Vietnam are carrying out the plan of synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, promoting the construction of China-Vietnam railway cooperation mechanism to facilitate economic exchanges, cultural tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

To enhance interconnection and interoperability, it is not only necessary to focus on the "hardware" connection of infrastructure, but also to give full play to the role of "software" connectivity, including raising awareness, building consensus, and connecting people to establish a social foundation for cooperation. Strengthening media cooperation, particularly through collaboration between mainstream media outlets at bilateral and multilateral levels, is crucial for disseminating accurate and objective information, serving as a bridge of friendship, and fostering a positive public opinion and cyberspace environment conducive to cooperative development.

The Nhandan Newspaper represents the voice of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country and its people. It is Vietnam's leading mainstream media outlet in scale and influence. In recent years, leveraging its strengths in print and multilingual digital publications, the Nhandan Newspaper has emphasized publicizing regional and global inter-connectivity and development linkages. It actively promotes cooperation with reputable media agencies worldwide, exchanging experiences and news products while adopting innovative communication methods. This year, the Nhandan Newspaper signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the People's Daily, paving the way for broader and more practical cooperation in the future.

Taking this forum as an opportunity, the Nhandan Newspaper is committed to deepening relationships with both existing and new media partners in the region and globally, jointly constructing efficient "software infrastructure" for effective and comprehensive connectivity and development linkages. Lastly, I wish the forum complete success and extend my best wishes for the health, happiness, and success of all delegates. Thank you!