The 12th ASEAN Plus Three Media Cooperation Forum, co-hosted by the People's Daily and the People's Government of Fujian Province, was held in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, on November 4. The forum was held under the theme of "Openness and Cooperation for Shared Development." Du Shangze, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the People's Daily, delivered opening remarks at the forum. The following is the full text of her remarks:

Distinguished Vice Chairman Mr. Huang Ruxin, guests, media colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, 

Good morning.

In this golden autumn season, we gather in beautiful Fuzhou, the blessed city, for the 12th ASEAN Plus Three Media Cooperation Forum. On behalf of the People's Daily and entrusted by its president, Mr. Yu Shaoliang, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all media colleagues, experts, and scholars here. My heartfelt thanks go to the Fujian Provincial People's Government as co-host, and my sincere respect to all friends who have long been committed to promoting ASEAN Plus Three media cooperation.

ASEAN and China, Japan, and South Korea are geographically close, culturally connected, and bound by shared interests. Together, we form one of the world's most dynamic and promising regional groupings. Today, amid accelerating changes, global economic recovery faces headwinds, the geopolitical landscape is undergoing profound shifts, and technological advances are evolving rapidly, bringing both opportunities and challenges to regional cooperation. How to address development challenges through openness and generate momentum for win-win outcomes through cooperation has become a defining question of our times that we in the media industry must reflect on.

Since 2007, the forum has continued to promote media exchanges and cooperation among countries and has become a highly influential event under the ASEAN Plus Three cooperation framework. Over the years, media professionals, experts and scholars from various countries have engaged in candid exchanges and built consensus through this platform, helping foster a favorable public opinion environment for regional cooperation and playing a unique role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship among peoples.

The theme of this year's forum, "Openness and Cooperation for Shared Development," not only responds to the needs of our times, but also reflects the shared expectations of all parties. In the sessions ahead, our guests will engage in in-depth discussions on two topics: "Deepening Economic and Trade Cooperation for Digital Intelligence Opportunities" and "Promoting Mutual Learning Among Civilizations and People-to-People Connectivity." We look forward to insightful exchanges and valuable contributions from all participants. On this occasion, I would like to share three thoughts on the responsibilities and missions of the media in regional cooperation.

The media are recorders of regional cooperation and, more importantly, should be promoters of openness and win-win cooperation. Economic and trade cooperation is the cornerstone of regional cooperation. China and ASEAN have been each other's largest trading partners for years, with their trade structure steadily improving and their industrial and supply chains becoming closely integrated, continuously generating benefits from regional integration. These developments deserve sustained media attention. 

The People's Daily is committed to telling the stories of regional cooperation and mutual benefit in an objective and comprehensive manner, and conveying positive messages of cooperation. We stand ready to work with media colleagues from across the countries to uphold professionalism and fairness, report rationally, bridge gaps in understanding and dispel biases in public opinion, so that the principles of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes take root in people's minds, and foster a favorable public opinion environment for deepening regional cooperation.

The media are witnesses to technological change and, more importantly, should be pioneers in exploring opportunities in digital and intelligent development. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence are evolving rapidly, profoundly reshaping the media landscape and opening up new avenues for regional media cooperation. The media should not only vividly showcase innovative practices in which digital and intelligent technologies empower traditional industries and give rise to emerging business models, but also proactively embrace change, make good use of new tools and platforms such as AI, short videos and integrated media, overcome geographical barriers, expand communication channels and share the benefits of digital transformation.

The People's Daily has continued to advance its intelligent transformation and stands ready to exchange experiences and strengthen cooperation with all parties to enhance the communication capacity of regional media and ensure that the opportunities brought by digital and intelligent technologies benefit more people.

The media are communicators of diverse civilizations and, more importantly, should be guardians of people-to-people connectivity. The civilizations of ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea each have their own unique charm and enrich one another, representing the region's most profound and valuable assets. The media serve as a bridge for dialogue among civilizations. We should actively build bridges for exchanges, focus on vivid examples of connectivity in people's livelihoods, cultural integration, youth exchanges and people-to-people interactions, tell more stories of friendship among neighbors, and bring people closer together.

The People's Daily will continue to use cultural exchanges as a bond and contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and trust among the peoples of different countries through joint reporting, content co-creation and personnel exchanges.

Dear colleagues and friends, 

As the initiator and organizer of this forum, the People's Daily has always attached great importance to the development of this platform. Media cooperation is an indispensable part of regional cooperation. Looking ahead, we stand ready to join hands with media partners from various countries, uphold an open and pragmatic approach, and jointly write a new chapter in regional media cooperation, making continued contributions to the prosperity and stability of East Asia and the world at large.

Holding this forum in Fuzhou is of profound significance. Fujian was an important starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, carrying forward a thousand-year tradition of openness, trade and cultural integration, and bearing witness to the long-standing and deep-rooted friendship between China and ASEAN, Japan and South Korea. I hope that, in addition to participating in discussions and exchanges, our guests will fully experience the vibrant development of regional cooperation at the local level.

I wish this forum complete success. I wish all of you a productive and pleasant stay here. Thank you!