A Malaysian delegation member experiences a virtual reality device in Guangxi Science and Technology Museum in July 2023.

China-Malaysia tech cooperation marks a significant step in the bilateral relationship, reflecting a shared commitment to harnessing technology for mutual benefit.

As one of the key events around the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations, the recently concluded China Smart Industry Trade and Culture Exhibition 2024 has had a positive influence on China-Malaysia tech cooperation and bilateral ties.

Organized by the China Entrepreneurs Association in Malaysia, the exhibition held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre attracted approximately 20,000 attendees as well as nearly 100 companies and institutions from countries including China, Malaysia and Singapore. They showcased technological achievements in a wide range of sectors such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and 5G. It provided an opportunity for Chinese and Malaysian companies, researchers and policymakers to exchange knowledge and expertise.

The exhibition covered seminars, workshops and panel discussions led by industry experts. These educational opportunities helped to develop skills among professionals and students from both countries, ensuring a well-prepared workforce for future tech challenges. The focus on smart industry and digital solutions at the exhibition underscored the importance of the digital economy.

In her speech at the opening ceremony, Malaysian Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching highlighted the long-standing history of cooperation between Malaysia and China in the field of technology, emphasizing the exhibition's role as a testament to the solid bilateral relationship.

China is a crucial partner in Malaysia's telecommunications and digital economy development. The cooperation between the two countries complements each other's strengths, advancing their technological levels, creating new opportunities for businesses and consumers, and contributing to economic growth, she added.

Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing said at the opening ceremony that developing new quality productive forces is an intrinsic requirement and a key focus for promoting high-quality development, with technological innovation being the core element.

He emphasized that human society needs international scientific and technological cooperation more than ever to address global issues. To this end, China has proposed the International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative, advocating and practicing the principles of open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory international cooperation in sci-tech, aiming to build a global scientific community. Ouyang expressed gratitude for Malaysia's support of this initiative.

Keith Li, president of the China Entrepreneurs Association in Malaysia, noted that China is a strong country in robotics, AI and other knowledge-intensive fields. The association aims to establish a platform that strengthens cooperation between Chinese and Malaysian enterprises, promoting the development of AI and the application of intelligent technologies in Malaysia to enhance productivity and business efficiency.

In 1992, China and Malaysia signed a science and technology cooperation agreement and established a joint committee on sci-tech. In recent years, government exchanges and interactions between the two countries have become more frequent, and sci-tech cultural exchanges have been on the rise. Practical cooperation has been carried out in various fields such as vaccine research and development, space technology, traditional Chinese medicine, AI, big data and tropical agriculture, yielding fruitful results.

On April 26, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun met with Malaysia's Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang during his visit to China. The two ministers jointly attended the third meeting of the China-Malaysia intergovernmental science and technology innovation cooperation joint committee and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents by relevant institutions.

Yin stated that this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia and the Year of China-Malaysia Friendship. The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology is willing to take this opportunity to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries and continuously expand bilateral sci-tech cooperation.