By Mudassar Iqbal
KUNMING, China, Sept 7 (APP): The South and Southeast Asian Media Network (SSAMN) Annual Meeting 2025 held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, bringing together prominent media leaders, senior officials, and cultural representatives from across the region to boost media cooperation and cultural exchange.
The gathering, held as part of the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum 2025, featured a colorful opening ceremony with traditional performances such as Cambodia’s harvest dance and Myanmar’s golden-palace lotus dance, reflecting the region’s shared cultural diversity.
The event is attended by distinguished guests, including Zeng Yan, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee, Qu Yingpu, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of China Daily, Wu Xu, Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Journalists Association, Khamphanh Pheuyavong, Member of the Secretariat of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and Head of the Propaganda and Training Board of the Party Central Committee, U Maung Maung Ohn, Minister of Ministry of Information of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Chhean Leang, State Secretary of the Ministry of Information of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Abeysekera Indrananda, President of the Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation Association.
During the session, the 2025–2026 SSAMN cooperation projects were launched for regional media outlets. These projects aim to foster greater collaboration and exchange among media organizations in South and Southeast Asia.
The 2024–2025 cooperation highlights were also released, featuring keynote addresses moderated by Zhu Baoxia, Deputy Publisher of China Daily, and a roundtable discussion themed “Spanning Mountains and Seas, Forging Ahead Hand in Hand.”
The second SSAMN annual meeting will feature a range of activities, including, special book exhibition on important works of President Xi Jinpin, The 2025 China-Myanmar Media Twin Cities Forum — a “Mingalar Talks on Paukphaw Friendship” storytelling session, Lancang-Mekong Regional Communication Seminar, the “Glorious Silk Road · Better Neighborly Connections” cultural fair.
Launched in January 2024 by the Yunnan International Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia (YICC) and China Daily’s Asia-Pacific Branch, SSAMN operates under the guidance of the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee’s Publicity Department and China Daily. The network aims to serve as a platform for regional media collaboration, cultural dialogue, and people-to-people connectivity.