Indonesia’s state news agency Antara is looking at how China’s Xinhua uses artificial intelligence in its newsroom. The talks mark a new stage in a media partnership that dates back almost seven decades.
Antara President Director Abdul Hakim met Xinhua President Fu Hua at Xinhua’s headquarters in Beijing on November 5, 2026. The meeting took place ahead of the 7th World Media Summit, and Hakim was the first guest Fu received.
Hakim said Antara wants to learn how Xinhua uses AI to speed up reporting and reach more readers abroad. He showed interest in Xinhua Yudian, an AI tool launched in June 2026.
Yudian is designed to answer questions about political news and trace information back to its sources. Reports on the meeting did not explain how the tool works, what data it uses, or who could access Antara’s content through it.
A Partnership Dating Back to 1957
Fu said the two agencies first connected in 1957, seven years after Indonesia and China set up diplomatic ties in 1950. He said next year will mark more than 70 years of cooperation between them.
Fu said Xinhua strongly supports working with Antara and that both leaders agreed to deepen ties. Hakim recalled three Xinhua journalists who died in a 1955 plane incident after the Bandung Asian-African Conference. A Xinhua photographer survived because he traveled by ship.
The two agencies differ greatly in size. Xinhua has about 12,000 staff and more than 20 offices abroad. It produces around 13,000 news items a day.
Antara signed its first deal with Xinhua in 2015, with a focus on fake news. A Freedom House report later rated Indonesia as vulnerable to Beijing’s media influence, citing 2019 deals involving Antara, Metro TV, Xinhua and China’s state broadcaster CGTN.
In December 2025, a Maritime Silk Road media platform launched in Guangzhou with outlets from 11 countries, including Indonesia. Several members of that platform belong to China’s state media.
Hakim Sets Out Conditions for AI Use
Hakim was the first speaker at the summit’s Forum on Powering Intelligent Media. He told delegates that AI can help journalists but cannot replace human judgment or editorial responsibility.
He said technology must not weaken accuracy, verification, fairness or integrity. He also noted that AI brings false stories, manipulated images and confusion about what is real, so speed alone is not enough.
Hakim said smart tools need energy and computing power, so they must be affordable for developing countries. He added that people outside major cities need credible information and that no voice should be left behind.
He welcomed closer cooperation between news agencies in three areas. These are sharing trusted information and fact-checking methods, exchanging knowledge on responsible AI, and working together on global issues such as energy security, climate change, peace and sustainable development.
Hakim said technology makes media faster and smart systems make it smarter, but trust is what gives it meaning. He said the technology has changed, but the mission has not.
The World Media Summit drew about 500 delegates from 330 media outlets, research groups and government bodies. They represented 112 countries and regions.
This year’s theme was “Media in the Age of Intelligence: From Consensus to Action.” Sessions focused on AI in journalism, international media cooperation, global communication standards and coverage of China’s modernization.
At the summit, Xinhua deputy editor-in-chief Ren Weidong urged news agencies to stop labeling one another as advanced or backward. He called for joint reporting that benefits all sides equally.
