KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 – ASEAN nations must act decisively to harness the transformative potential of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to boost regional integration, innovation, and long-term economic resilience.
This was the key message delivered during a high-level panel discussion titled “Building ASEAN-China Super-sized Markets Together” at the ASEAN-China Media and Think Tank Forum held here today.
Ong Chong Yi, Executive Director of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific Malaysia, highlighted how China’s infrastructure-driven approach under the BRI has already delivered tangible benefits to parts of the region. A notable example, he said, is the China-Laos high-speed rail, which has effectively transformed Laos from a landlocked country into a strategic logistics hub.
“The BRI helped overcome limitations in financing and technology. Now we’re seeing new economic zones emerging in previously underdeveloped areas,” Ong said. He also pointed to Malaysia’s early BRI-linked projects such as the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) and the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), which have driven job creation, improved logistics, and boosted investment in the East Coast.
“The economic potential along the ECRL corridor—expected to be completed by 2027—is enormous. This is just the beginning,” he added.
On the technology front, Dr. Lee Boon Chye, Chairman of Bioeconomy Corporation and Advisor to the Centre for Regional Strategic Studies, stressed the urgent need for ASEAN to tap into China’s rising dominance in AI. He revealed that China filed over 300,000 AI-related patents in 2024, surpassing the rest of the world combined.
“ASEAN must accelerate innovation by aligning with Chinese tech standards and deepening research cooperation,” said Lee. “In the past, our brightest minds went West for PhDs and research. Now, with increasing Western restrictions, it’s time to reverse the flow and look East.”
He also proposed the expansion of scholarships and joint R&D initiatives by China to nurture ASEAN talent and foster bilateral knowledge exchange.
The forum was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who underscored Malaysia’s commitment to regional dialogue as it assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship this year. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, his deputy Teo Nie Ching, and Xinhua News Agency Editor-in-Chief Lyu Yansong were also in attendance.
Organised by Bernama and Xinhua News Agency under the theme “Strengthening ASEAN-China Cooperation,” the forum drew over 200 participants—including policymakers, media leaders, and academic experts—from across ASEAN and China. It served as a dynamic platform to explore collaboration in digital innovation, AI, economic development, and cultural diplomacy within the rapidly shifting media and geopolitical landscape.
— BERNAMA
