Saili hails ZANIS-Xinhua media partnership

By RACHEL MUSHALA in Beijing

ZAMBIA News and Information Services (ZANIS) Director Loyce Saili has hailed the longstanding media partnership between ZANIS and China’s Xinhua News Agency, describing it as a vital foundation for bilateral news exchange and institutional cooperation.

Speaking when Xinhua President Fu Hua met heads of media houses from Africa on the sidelines of the World Media Summit in Beijing, Ms Saili stressed the deep historical roots anchoring media ties between the two state institutions.

“The establishment of Xinhua News Agency’s presence since 1970 paved the way for the Memorandum of Understanding between Zambia Information Services (ZIS) and Xinhua in 1984, leading to institutional cooperation that has continued to grow,” Ms Saili said.

She noted that following the 2005 merger of Zambia Information Service (ZIS) and the Zambia News Agency (ZANA) to form ZANIS, the newly established institution inherited and expanded these ties.

She observed that the engagement in Beijing builds on previous milestones in the partnership, including Mr Fu’s visit to ZANIS headquarters in Lusaka on August 25, 2023, during which Xinhua handed over office equipment, including laptops and external hard drives, to support newsroom capacity.

“Your visit to Zambia News and Information Services on 25 August 2023 reaffirmed the longstanding relationship and provided an opportunity for the two institutions to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation in response to changes in the media industry,” Ms Saili said.

 She said the relationship received further impetus on November 20, 2025, when additional media-related Memoranda of Understanding involving ZANIS and Xinhua were signed during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Zambia.

Ms Saili highlighted key achievements of the partnership between the two historic institutions, including increased collaboration, technical support, professional training, and expansion into television, among others.

And Xinhua News Agency President Fu Hua said he was happy to welcome global media leaders to the seventh World Media Summit, whose focus is on artificial intelligence, Chinese modernisation, and how the media can jointly take action to benefit from modern technology.

 Mr Fu has since pledged Xhinua’s continued collaboration with media houses in different parts of the world. 

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