Using NFC on your phone to enter a subway station, paying for a coffee with a digital wallet, ordering a favorite bag from a livestream shopping session... nearly every aspect of daily life in China is permeated by the "digital" touch. It's no exaggeration to say that China has become the one country in the world where "one smartphone can do it all".
In 1994, China gained access to the internet, and subsequently, a wave of internet companies emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Shopping, ordering food, booking rides, reserving hotels, and other daily tasks can now be accomplished through apps developed by these companies. Digital technology has become one of the preeminent means of navigating daily life.
Riding the wave of technological innovation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, China's digital economy surged from 16.2 trillion yuan in 2014 to approximately 56.1 trillion yuan in 2023, with its share of GDP rising from 25.1 percent to around 44 percent.
At the recent BRI summit, major importance was placed on the proposal to "build a Digital Silk Road". The development of the Digital Silk Road has spearheaded the collaborative construction of digital infrastructure, financial and logistics systems across countries, serving as a new engine driving the digital transformation of societies and economies along the Belt and Road.
As the core region of the "Digital Silk Road," Southeast Asia has seen years of proactive investment and strategic planning from Chinese digital companies, replicating and promoting successful domestic models.
Malaysia, one of the first countries to respond to the Belt and Road Initiative, launched its own digital blueprint in 2021, aiming to achieve its digital transformation goals within ten years. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysian prime minister at the time, anticipated that the blueprint would create 500,000 digital-related jobs by 2025, contributing 22.6 percent to the country's GDP.
Economic development relies on the support of talent, and learning from China is one effective strategy that Malaysia has been implementing. As a result, under the Belt and Road Initiative, higher education bodies in the two countries are exploring new models for the joint cultivation of international talent.
Earlier this year, for instance, Guangxi Vocational and Technical College of Finance and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology inaugurated the China-Malaysia Institute of Modern Craftsmanship of Digital Economy in Kuala Lumpur. This institute integrates cutting-edge technologies such as big data analytics and AIGC applications into the training of digital economy professionals.
Speaking at a BRI forum at University of Science and Technology Beijing on Thursday, Ong Thai Kiat, an associate dean at the Department of Materials Engineering of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, said the combination of "Chinese language and vocational skills" has gradually become a sought-after trait among candidates recognized by Malaysian companies. He confidently stated that, by learning from China, these students' employment prospects are limitless.
Ong said, "The first batch of students has already participated in the TikTok Comprehensive Marketing Advanced Training Camp, and more tailored courses for digital enterprises will be set up in the future."
Economic cooperation has always been the cornerstone of China-Malaysia relations. Having just celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the scope for cooperation between the two countries in the digital economy will be even broader, said Ong.
Yan Bingchen, deputy Party secretary and deputy director-general of Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region believes that the institute not only elevates the educational standards of both nations but also furnishes robust talent reservoirs for enterprises from both sides to expand their global presence.This synergy not only drives technological innovation but also empowers advanced artificial intelligence solutions to bolster the advancement of the "Belt and Road" digital economy initiative,Yan said.
