Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing (second right), Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (third right), and Malaysian Chinese Association President Wee Ka-siong (first left) respond during the opening of the Global Chinese Economic and Technology Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur.

China’s role in technology advancement and ASEAN ties highlighted at summit

(China Daily/ANN) -- China’s pivotal role and advancements in global digitalisation and sustainable development, particularly in cooperation with Malaysia and Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, were emphasised at a summit held in Kuala Lumpur.
The Global Chinese Economic and Technology Summit 2025 (GCET 2025), themed Global Leadership and Partnership in the Age of Digital and Green Transformation, attracted over 400 participants, including policymakers, diplomats, business leaders to discuss significant economic and technological trends shaping the future of global investment and innovation.
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that his country, as the chair of ASEAN 2025, stands at the heart of the global transformation, adding, “One fact is clear: The countries that act fastest will lead the next decade.”
Ahmad Zahid said that China has remained Malaysia’s No 1 trading partner for 16 consecutive years, driven by mutual trust, stable policies, a strong talent pool, and clear economic direction. By May 2025, bilateral trade exceeded 200 billion ringgit (US$48.2 billion).
He highlighted three sectors that will drive ASEAN’s future growth as the digital economy, green transition, and global Chinese diaspora, underscoring development opportunities in artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, and green technology.
KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific President Michael Yeoh addressed the summit’s opening, saying there is a need to prepare for a new economy driven by digitalisation, green energy and shared prosperity through peace, dialogue, and collaboration, amid increasingly complex geopolitical tensions and uncertainties.
Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing said that China’s economy has reached a new level, with its GDP exceeding 134 trillion yuan (US$18.8 trillion) in 2024, at an average annual growth of 5.5 percent. China’s contribution to global economic growth remains around 30 percent.
Ouyang said that the number of new energy vehicles in China reached 31.4 million by the end of 2024, which means more than half of the world’s new energy vehicles are running in China. “In 2024, the export of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products increased by 2.6 times compared with 2020,” he added
The ambassador said long-standing economic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has contributed to building a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation. He stressed that sectors such as AI, blockchain, green technology, and renewable energy are the key areas and directions of cooperation between China and Malaysia, as well as between China and ASEAN, adding that these areas showcase China’s new quality and productive forces in leading global scientific and technological progress.

(Latest Update November 21, 2025)