Beijing, China – The Lesotho News Agency (LENA) and China’s Xinhua News Agency have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand media cooperation, facilitate the exchange of information and strengthen professional collaboration between the two institutions.
The agreement is expected to create opportunities for the agencies to share news content, exchange cultural experiences and improve reporting on developments in Lesotho and China through greater access to first-hand information.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Beijing, LENA Director Moroa Mopeli said securing Cabinet approval for the agreement demonstrated the importance Lesotho attached to the partnership.
She said the arrangement would give both agencies greater opportunities to present their countries’ stories to international audiences using their own reporting rather than depending predominantly on coverage produced by external media organisations.
Mopeli also pointed to platforms such as bilateral media agreements and the World Media Summit as important avenues for building partnerships and helping news organisations respond to changes in the journalism industry.
She disclosed that LENA had already facilitated visits to China for some of its journalists, including reporters based at the agency’s headquarters and one journalist from the districts.
According to Mopeli, these visits have provided participating journalists with opportunities for professional training, international networking and exposure to different newsroom environments.
She said such exchanges were valuable because journalists needed to be prepared to identify and document stories wherever opportunities presented themselves.
Xinhua News Agency President Fu Hua also welcomed the partnership, describing cooperation between the two institutions as an important channel for strengthening communication between China and Lesotho.
He said the collaboration would help audiences in both countries access accurate and reliable information about developments in each other’s societies.
Fu also called for closer cooperation among media organisations as the industry undergoes rapid technological changes, particularly with the growing use of Artificial Intelligence in news production and distribution.
He proposed expanded professional training, exchanges of journalistic experience and other collaborative programmes involving reporters from both agencies, saying these initiatives would contribute to strengthening the skills and capacity of media practitioners.
The Xinhua president also spoke about the contribution of journalism to building mutual understanding between nations and encouraging people-to-people relations through balanced and comprehensive reporting.
He expressed confidence that the agreement would establish a foundation for sustained cooperation, allowing LENA and Xinhua to identify additional areas of partnership as the global media environment continues to evolve.
Xinhua operates an extensive international news-gathering and distribution network, with bureaus and correspondents in more than 100 countries and regions.
Its global presence covers Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America and Eurasia.
Among the major cities where the agency maintains offices are Johannesburg, Nairobi, Hong Kong, New York, Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Moscow, Mexico City and Cairo.
Through this international network, Xinhua distributes news and information across different regions, connecting audiences and media organisations worldwide.
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