KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Malaysian political, business and academic representatives have met and held exchanges on leveraging AI to advance industrial upgrading and enhance bilateral economic and trade ties.
During the 2026 Land-Sea Economic Forum held in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, Malaysian Deputy President of the Senate Nur Jazlan Mohamed said physical trade links and digital infrastructure require close cooperation across the region.
On the physical front, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has, in less than a decade, compressed the transit time between Western China and Southeast Asian ports from weeks to mere days, he said, adding that by bridging Chongqing, the industrial nerve center of Western China, directly to the Straits of Malacca and onward to the Indian Ocean, an integrated, high-efficiency logistical highway has been created.
Elaborating on the use of AI in international trade, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing Deputy President Andrew Goh Boon Kim said AI-powered tools are particularly valuable for small and medium enterprises, which may have competitive products but lack the resources to maintain teams in overseas markets.
AI-assisted systems can organize information, analyze regulatory frameworks, identify inconsistencies and support regulatory compliance, he added.
Center for Advanced Studies and Research Executive Director Kat Wong said the forum and other engagements help strengthen people-to-people relations through building a deeper understanding between Western China, particularly Chongqing, and Malaysia and strengthening the resilience of both economies as AI and digitalization transform the way trade, business and investment decisions are made. ■