BERNAMA-Xinhua News Exchange Aligns with Malaysia-China 50th Anniversary - Bernama Chairman

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- The renewal of the News Exchange and Cooperation Agreement on Monday between the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and China’s Xinhua News Agency aligns perfectly with the upcoming 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China next year.

Chairman of Bernama, Wong Chun Wai, congratulated both news agencies for being the first to kickstart the celebration.  

He said this heralds the commencement of the celebrations in just a month from now.

“Today’s renewal of the agreement between Bernama and Xinhua signifies more than a mere extension of the wire service; it opens doors for content exchange that aligns seamlessly with our evolution into broadcast and digital media.

“In this spirit of collaboration, I extend sincere hope that Xinhua will utilise our content to showcase the opportunities awaiting Chinese investors in Malaysia and to highlight the achievements of our esteemed Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, a newsmaker on the international stage,” he said in his welcoming speech at the signing ceremony held at Wisma Bernama here.

The agreement was signed by Bernama’s Editor-in-Chief (also discharging the duties of Chief Executive Officer) Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and Xinhua’s Director for Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau Wang Jinfu.

The momentous signing ceremony was witnessed by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and the Chinese Embassy's Minister in Malaysia Zheng Xuefang.

Also present were Deputy Secretary-General (Strategic Communication and Creative Industry) of the Communications Ministry Nik Kamaruzaman Nik Husin and Xinhua’s Vice President Zhu Haili.

Commenting further, Wong said the collaboration between Bernama and Xinhua began on Dec 14, 1985, with the signing of the inaugural news exchange agreement.  

In retrospect, he said, "this partnership has not only weathered the test of time but has also evolved into a beacon of journalistic excellence".

He also said that Bernama, since its inception, recognised the imperative of providing a balanced, unbiased coverage of international news, shedding light on the challenges faced by developing nations.

“We strategically engaged with like-minded counterparts and regional news groups, such as the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA). This journey led us to forge a pivotal partnership with Xinhua,” said Wong, adding that the Bernama-Xinhua collaboration commenced 38 years ago and has since propelled us forward without looking back.

He also said Xinhua’s vast resources have been instrumental in enabling Bernama to offer credible and diverse news coverage alongside other esteemed media partners.

“Beyond global news, coverage of events within China is of great importance to Bernama. As China ascends as a new economic superpower and a prominent player on the global stage, the first-hand information provided by Xinhua is eagerly sought by both us (Bernama) and our audience in Malaysia,” added Wong.

Wong also stressed that Bernama not only disseminates Xinhua’s stories to its audience but also gains invaluable insights into China’s policies and stances on various global issues through Xinhua's comprehensive news reports.

“We firmly believe that Xinhua offers a truthful narrative on the Chinese government, free from the biases sometimes prevalent in Western media,” he added.

With more than 180 bureaus worldwide, Xinhua offers a wealth of content for us to draw upon, including its coverage of major events such as the World Cup soccer tournament, international summits, COP28, and the World Media Summit.

In his speech, Wong suggested reflecting on the time before the internet and the digital revolution, adding western media largely shaped the global information landscape, with concerns about Cold War propaganda and biased narratives looming large.  

Meanwhile, Wang in his welcoming address said he was glad to come to Malaysia this year which marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Malaysia.

He said Xinhua has maintained good communication and cooperation with Bernama and other Malaysian media outlets, and has played an important role in enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples and deepening the friendship between the two countries.

“Xinhua News Agency is willing to work with the Malaysian media in covering various fields between the two countries, and to create a positive atmosphere for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations,” he added.

He said in recent years, Xinhua has kept pace with the ever-changing media development trends and built the first intelligent editorial department in the global media sphere, a self-production intelligent video gathering and editing system called “Media Brain”, the world’s first artificial intelligence news anchor.

As a global pioneer in media technology innovation, he said Xinhua also delivers drone-borne news, satellite news, VR news, 3D animation news and other innovative products.

“Xinhua would like to expand cooperation with Bernama and other Malaysian media outlets, in new media service and jointly explore the way to promote media convergence,” added Wang.

He also highlighted that Bernama chairman (Wong) came to China at the beginning of this month for the 5th World Media Summit and made a wonderful speech, exchanging views with the media from various countries on media innovation and development.

“Xinhua is willing to increase communication with Malaysian media professionals through bilateral and multilateral platforms, enhance mutual understanding and promote deeper cooperation,” he added.

-- BERNAMA