FUZHOU, China: Arab and international media representatives called for stronger editorial partnerships, action against misinformation and responsible use of artificial intelligence in an initiative announced at the end of the 2026 Media Cooperation Forum on the Belt and Road.

The event, organized by People’s Daily with the Fujian provincial government, was held under the theme of pursuing common understandings and aspirations.

The Fuzhou Initiative laid out at the event calls for mutually beneficial cooperation, building consensus, closer content collaboration, embracing technological change and strengthening ties between peoples.

It urges media organizations to uphold professional integrity, reject misinformation and provide reporting that builds understanding and mutual trust.

Practical proposals include joint reporting, journalist exchanges, information sharing and program co-production through platforms such as the Belt and Road News Network, which includes 327 media members in 120 countries, including the Middle East region.

The initiative encourages media organizations to use emerging technologies to reach wider audiences and deepen coverage of green development, digital cooperation and health. It also invites the media to help communities better understand one another and share their aspirations for a better life.

Launched by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative seeks to expand trade, investment and infrastructure links across Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond through land and maritime routes.

The Fujian capital Fuzhou has been designated by Beijing as a core area of the scheme’s maritime component, known as the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

In a keynote address at the forum, Khalid Orabi, managing editor and international affairs director at Muscat Media Group, cited development around Egypt’s Suez Canal and the Omani-Chinese Industrial City, as evidence of the initiative’s progress in the Arab world. He also mentioned cooperation in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

He described its role as “important and effective” and said that its main aim was to help build relationships and partnerships between countries, something that news organizations could help to explain.

In a separate speech on People’s Daily’s digital development, officials set out plans to expand the use of AI agents and make the organization’s content easier for machines to access and process.

They outlined an AI “digital employee” that can receive assignments from human colleagues through multiple channels and complete tasks through a conversational interface.

The officials said that another priority was developing AI-friendly platforms and data infrastructure, as making content more accessible to machines could improve the accuracy and efficiency of AI systems while reducing processing costs.

The forum also screened four documentaries, including “In the Book of My Dreams,” produced by Armenia’s News.am and “Documentary: Treasures and Masks,” a co-production by Egyptian National Television and China Media Group.