In brief
At a November 5‑9 World Media Summit in Beijing, Wong Chun Wai, chairman of Malaysia’s Bernama, claimed China is positioned to support the Global South’s media sector through AI and partnership. He urged the summit to focus on practical cooperation and capacity building for developing media organisations. Wong recalled earlier summit visits and stressed the role of technology in reshaping newsrooms.
In Beijing, during the 7th World Media Summit, Malaysia’s Bernama chairman Wong Chun Wai argued that China’s advances in artificial intelligence place the country in a prime position to aid the Global South’s media sector.
Wong, who is attending the summit from November 5 to 9 under the theme Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action, said China’s extensive international media partnerships and focus on cooperation could help media organisations adapt to technological change. He highlighted Malaysia’s proximity to China and frequent exchanges as a model for mutual benefit.
Expressing this view to Xinhua in Kuala Lumpur, Wong stated the rapid rise of AI is transforming news production, creating opportunities while forcing organisations to rethink operations. He added,
"It’s very easy to buy a tool and put it in your company,"the chairman noted, emphasising that AI could fundamentally reshape newsroom work.
Central to his message is a call for the summit to concentrate on the practical needs of Global South media. Wong said the event should promote tangible cooperation in technology applications and capacity building so that newly emerging newsrooms can learn from one another and move forward together.
Wong recalled his participation in the 6th World Media Summit which took place in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 2024. He described the experience as memorable, particularly a visit to the cotton‑producing region of Kashgar where journalists witnessed state‑of‑the‑art machinery.
“When they passed the cotton fields, they saw a lot of machines, machines that were being used to cultivate the cotton,” the chairman said, recalling a remark from participants.
"This is the real Xinjiang,"one participant said. Wong said the trip offered journalists a firsthand understanding of China’s rapid development.
Throughout the interview, Wong framed China as a cooperative partner that can assist Global South news agencies in adopting AI tools, sharing best practices, and facilitating a deeper cultural exchange. He suggested that increased exposure to Chinese technology would help newsrooms address operational challenges posed by AI.
According to Xinhua, Wong’s remarks highlight a growing Western‑centric narrative that positions China’s tech exports as a developmental aid for lower‑income media markets. Meanwhile, other analysts note that the benefits of AI for developing newsrooms are highly contingent on local regulatory frameworks and digital literacy levels.
Wong’s call for action is echoed by the summit’s organising committee, which has set out several workshops on AI applications, newsroom automation, and training programmes for journalists from the Global South. These initiatives aim to reduce the “digital divide” between developed and developing media landscapes.
In closing, Wong urged participants to transform the summit into a “platform for practical discussions on AI applications and newsroom transformation,” emphasizing collaborative learning as the key to sustaining media growth in the AI age.
