China pledges greater AI, manufacturing cooperation with ASEAN
China is committed to supporting businesses from all countries to actively engage in the global division of labor within industrial and supply chains, and enhance complementarity between "Made in China" and "Made in ASEAN" on a broader scale, said the country's top industry regulator.
Li Lecheng, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said China will prioritize institutional opening-up to create a dynamic environment for industrial convergence, encouraging enterprises worldwide to participate more deeply in global supply and industrial chains, and strengthen cooperation between Chinese and ASEAN manufacturing.
Li made the comments at the 2025 China-ASEAN Industry Ministerial Roundtable Meeting in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Wednesday.
According to him, in recent years, China has pursued new industrialization as a central task, driving high-quality development that continuously injects new momentum into China-ASEAN cooperation. The industrial collaboration between the two sides has yielded substantial outcomes and established a solid foundation. China now aims to further elevate this partnership through higher levels of openness, better-coordinated mechanisms, and more concrete measures.
Li urged more efforts in strengthening institutional coordination as a foundation for building a mutually beneficial environment. The country is willing to share practical experiences with ASEAN members in areas such as industrial policy design and enterprise incubation, while jointly exploring new models of industrial cooperation tailored to regional development needs.
He stressed that cooperation in emerging fields will serve as another breakthrough, opening new pathways for industrial advancement.
Furthermore, he called for joint efforts to promote the "AI Plus" initiative, facilitate cross-border data flows, and accelerate the digital transformation of manufacturing. China is willing to establish diversified cooperation platforms in critical areas including smart manufacturing, green manufacturing, and high-end equipment manufacturing. These efforts are designed to cultivate a new generation of interdisciplinary talent and facilitate the application and commercialization of research outcomes.
