08 xtgmf]k; 37ltok c]t [= ]y dko 23/09/2025 At the China-ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence held on September 18 in Nanning, Guangxi, ministerial-level representatives from China and multiple ASEAN countries gathered to discuss regional development and cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI). AI is reshaping the global economic and social landscape, enhancing productivity while continuously improving public services. Several ASEAN representatives noted that AI brings new opportunities to strengthen services such as education and healthcare, helping overcome existing constraints and promoting regional and global connectivity. However, global AI development is currently showing a polarized trend, with only a few countries fully benefiting. Challenges such as talent shortages, insufficient data resources and infrastructure, and concerns over governance, privacy, and cybersecurity urgently need to be addressed. How can countries overcome developmental bottlenecks and share in the benefits of progress? For the participants, a strong AI partnership between ASEAN and China is essential. China-ASEANMinisterial Roundtable Maps Out AI Cooperation Blueprint Mr. Sok Puthyuth, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (Cambodia), emphasized that regional cooperation must come first in AI development, including building greater consensus with China and fellow ASEAN partners. Indeed, China and ASEAN have already demonstrated significant potential for AI collaboration. Analysis indicates that China holds clear advantages in AI technology research, application, and industrial scale, while ASEAN countries have strong demands for digital economic transformation and rich application scenarios, offering broad space for cooperation. At the opening ceremony of the CAEXPO, large screens displayed real-time translation in multiple ASEAN languages, and by the end of the meeting, AI rapidly generated a summary of the entire event along with related trending keywords. These AI applications left a deep impression on Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry. She said they reflect China’s pioneering spirit and innovative capabilities in applying AI technology. “China has effect ively appl ied AI across al l sectors of society and, with its vast population base, accumulated rich data and invaluable application cases,” Low Yen Ling remarked. Mr. Sok Puthyuth noted that China’s extensive experience in AI provides Cambodia with a valuable opportunity to accelerate its own AI development, especially in key areas such as smart agriculture, digital healthcare, fintech, and education. Mr. Boviengkham Vongdara, Minister of Technology and Communications of Laos, pointed out that China’s advanced educational resources will play an important role in cultivating and jointly developing AI talent within ASEAN, thereby driving growth in critical sectors such as industry, agriculture, public health, transportation, and education. Meanwhi le, a series of initiatives jointly proposed by China and ASEAN have laid a solid foundation for future cooperation. Mr. Boviengkham Vongdara highlighted that the ChinaASEAN Cooperation Action Plan on Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Ecosystem (2026–2030) will promote equitable digital development, improve infrastructure, and ensure that AI benefits the people. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0 will also help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in ASEAN better integrate into regional and global value chains. Currently, negotiations on CAFTA 3.0 have been fully completed, covering nine key areas including digital technology and green technology. Mr. Unny Sankar, Minister of the Embassy of Malaysia in China, believes this will accelerate the synergistic effects of AI and promote deeper cooperation between the two sides in fields such as green energy and smart agriculture. Mr. Bui Hoang Phuong, Deputy Minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology, pointed out that a digital ASEAN is built not just on network connectivity, but also on trust, shared standards, and common values. Effective cooperation between ASEAN and China will enable AI to contribute to regional prosperity and stability. At the meeting, the ChinaASEAN Countries Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center was officially launched. It will carry out concrete cooperation in areas such as strengthening AI development foundations, providing open-source and open-access services, enhancing industrial collaboration, and promoting talent cultivation, to facilitate the implementation of practical cooperation projects. “I firmly believe that ASEAN and China will continue to strengthen cooperation in AI in an inclusive and innovative manner, ensuring that AI delivers tangible benefits to our region and the world at large,” said Boviengkham Vongdara.
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