KUNMING, Sept 8 (TNA) – Media professionals and academics from South and Southeast Asia have pledged to work together to disseminate accurate information globally and amplify the voice of the Global South.
The consensus was reached at the 2025 South and Southeast Asia Media Alliance Summit in Kunming, Yunnan province, hosted by the Yunnan International Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia (YICC). Participants agreed to strengthen cooperation to face global challenges, including geopolitical tensions, trade wars, and the disruptive influence of artificial intelligence (AI).
The summit highlighted the inevitability of using AI in the media industry but stressed the importance of ensuring the technology does not become a source of disinformation. Media organizations and journalists must use AI wisely and implement robust verification processes to prevent the spread of fake news.
Bhavivarn Noraphallop, Consul-General of Thailand in Kunming, said the summit was a response to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s policy of positioning Yunnan as a gateway to Southeast and South Asia. She noted that media cooperation can foster deeper and faster people-to-people relations. She added that Yunnan’s hosting of the event demonstrates its advanced progress in media collaboration.
In an interview with Thai News Agency, Bhavivarn addressed the decline in Chinese tourists visiting Thailand. She cited two main reasons: Chinese tourists’ concerns stemming from inaccurate information about Thailand, and the increased popularity of domestic tourism within China, particularly in Yunnan, since the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that Yunnan has attracted hundreds of millions of Chinese tourists annually, with some years reaching over a billion.
She said Thai agencies, including the Thai Consulate in Kunming and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, are working to promote tourism through events like Thai festivals and cultural exhibitions. She said recent events celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces received significant interest.
She also highlighted that Thai fruits remain popular among Chinese consumers, with durian being the top import via the Yunnan border this year, thanks to the China-Laos railway. She added there are significant opportunities for Thai investors in China.
Yunnan province, located in southern China, shares borders with Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. -819 (810) (TNA)
