Building on the momentum of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia, both nations have committed to expanding cooperation in high-tech industries, including big data and 5G, and jointly exploring “new quality productive forces,” according to business representatives from China and Malaysia.
The two countries issued a joint statement on Thursday, outlining their commitment to building a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future. A key element of the 56-point statement includes an agreement to become regional pacesetters in cooperation on new quality productive forces, focusing on the digital economy, green economy, blue economy, and tourism economy to drive future economic collaboration.
This strategic emphasis on high-tech sectors has been met with enthusiasm in Malaysia, with business leaders from both sides highlighting the existing growth and significant future potential of this collaboration.
An illustrative example of this evolving partnership is the ongoing construction of a large-scale data center in Cyberjaya, Malaysia’s tech hub, by China State Construction Engineering (M) SDN BHD (CSCEC), a subsidiary of China State Construction Engineering Corp. Scheduled for completion in June, the Infinaxis Data Center represents a shift towards “new infrastructure” projects.
Huang Yidong, Vice General Manager of CSCEC’s Malaysian Main Branch, noted the company’s strategic transition towards projects like data centers, moving beyond traditional building construction.
CSCEC is part of a broader trend of Chinese high-tech companies expanding their presence and collaborations in Malaysia. Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing recently highlighted the growing cooperation in big data, with data centers established by firms such as GDS and Chindata Group, as well as in the new-energy vehicle sector with investments from Geely and Chery.
The Exchange 106 skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur further exemplifies this trend, housing major Chinese tech firms like Huawei and companies in the satellite industry, indicating an acceleration of cooperation in 5G and other advanced technology areas, according to Pei Pei, a marketing manager at the building.
Gan Tian Loo, Vice President of the Association of Interaction Malaysia-China, emphasized the substantial potential for high-tech cooperation to generate numerous high-skilled jobs and create new development opportunities for Malaysia, alongside investment and expansion for Chinese companies.
The focus on high-quality, sustainable cooperation in green development and the digital economy is expected to drive technological upgrades, low-carbon transformation, and cross-sector collaboration, according to a CSCEC staff member.
Gan Tian Loo also highlighted the significance of the official signing of the visa exemption agreement for official and ordinary passport holders, noting its role in promoting connectivity and bilateral cooperation amidst global complexities.
Responding to the visa exemption agreement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that it would significantly boost personnel exchanges and cooperation across various fields, elevating the China-Malaysia community with a shared future to new heights.
