In brief
At the 7th World Media Summit in Beijing, Bernama chairman Wong Chun Wai highlighted China’s advances in AI as a key resource for the Global South’s media sector. He urged the summit to focus on real‑world applications and capacity building, noting Malaysia’s proximity to China as an example. Wong also recalled his visit to Xinjiang in 2024 and emphasized the need for basic AI literacy among journalists.
KUALA LUMPUR—In an interview with Xinhua, Wong Chun Wai, chairman of Malaysia’s National News Agency (Bernama), said China is well positioned to support the Global South’s media sector through its advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and extensive international partnerships. He claimed that these resources could help media organizations embrace technological changes, strengthen their capabilities, and promote a better understanding of China through exchanges and firsthand reporting.
"It's very easy to buy a tool and put it in your company," Wong said, adding that media must rethink how AI could fundamentally reshape newsroom operations. He is currently attending the 7th World Media Summit in Beijing, which runs from Nov. 5 to 9 under the theme Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action.
Wong urged the summit to pay greater attention to the practical needs of Global South media organizations and to promote concrete cooperation in technology applications and capacity building. He cited Malaysia as an example, noting the country’s geographical proximity to China and frequent exchanges that provide opportunities to benefit from China’s AI advances.
He recalled attending the 6th World Media Summit in 2024, held in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and described his visit to Kashgar as a powerful opportunity for journalists to see the region firsthand. "When they passed the cotton fields, they saw a lot of machines, machines that were being used to cultivate the cotton," he remembered, noting that participants said, "This is the real Xinjiang."
In addition, Wong said it was important to provide basic AI literacy to people in the Global South, so that they can effectively engage with new technologies. The chairman emphasized that such literacy is essential for journalists to navigate the evolving media landscape.
As the summit progresses, Wong remains hopeful that the event will become a platform for practical discussions on AI applications and newsroom transformation, enabling media organizations to learn from one another and move forward together.