Vietnam News Agency Deputy General Director Nguyễn Tuấn Hùng (left) and Xinhua Deputy Editor-in-Chief Ren Weidong at the working session. — XINHUA/VNA Photo

BEIJING – The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Xinhua News Agency have agreed to step up cooperation in digital transformation, technology application and information exchange as part of efforts to adapt to the rapidly evolving media landscape.

The agreement was reached during a working visit by a VNA delegation to China from April 20 to 24. The delegation, led by VNA Deputy General Director Nguyễn Tuấn Hùng, held meetings with Xinhua and several major media organisations of China to exchange experience in applying advanced technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to journalism.

At the talks with Xinhua Deputy Editor-in-Chief Ren Weidong, Hùng highlighted the long-standing ties between the two agencies, noting their effective coordination in information coverage, particularly during high-level visits between Việt Nam and China.

Commending Xinhua’s achievements in applying big data and AI to operations, Hùng said the VNA is accelerating digital transformation across its entire production and distribution process while gradually integrating AI into journalistic practices. He expressed his hope that Xinhua will share its experience and deepen practical cooperation across all areas.

Agreeing that the two news agencies need to enhance collaboration in information exchange and technology application, Ren affirmed Xinhua is ready to share expertise and work closely with the VNA to foster mutual development and strengthen ties between the two national news agencies.

During a technical workshop with Xinhua’s technology department, the two sides discussed the design and organisation of integrated newsroom systems, including content, video and data platforms. They also exchanged views on data standardisation, metadata systems, content classification and the use of data for search and content exploitation.

Discussions further covered the deployment of AI platforms in news production, as well as systems for collecting, monitoring and analysing information from social media and digital news sources. The two sides also explored data storage models, information security solutions and technological infrastructure to ensure efficiency and consistency across operations.

As part of the visit, the VNA delegation met with the Vietnamese Embassy in China and held working sessions with the China Daily in Beijing and Southern Daily in Guangzhou, focusing on new media formats, information dissemination on social media, press distribution and media economics.

The delegation also visited several facilities in Guangzhou, including a computing centre and cultural sites, to gain further insights into technological development and potential cooperation opportunities. — VNS