AI offers unparalleled opportunities for China-ASEAN cooperation: Cambodian deputy PM

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Artificial Intelligence (AI) has offered greater opportunities for cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister Vongsey Vissoth said here on Monday.

In his opening remarks at the Symposium on "China-ASEAN Cooperation on AI Development and Governance" in Phnom Penh, Vissoth said the emphasis of China's Global AI Governance Initiative and responsible AI development aligned with ASEAN's vision for multilateral collaboration, which emphasized on a shared commitment to coordinated efforts that bridged regional and global aspirations.

"Therefore, for ASEAN nations and China, AI offers unparalleled opportunities to leapfrog developmental barriers, tackle persistent challenges, and usher in a new age of prosperity, inclusiveness, and sustainability," he said.

Vissoth said from modernizing agriculture to enhancing healthcare and revolutionizing governance, AI was not merely a tool but a bridge to realizing collective aspirations.

He said the synergy between ASEAN's collective regional efforts and China's Global AI Governance Initiative had the potential to create a robust platform for driving innovation and fostering inclusive policies, offering valuable insights and solutions that would resonate across the region and ensured the positive benefits of AI for the people.

He said that to tap into the benefits of AI for more inclusive and sustainable growth, China and ASEAN have advanced their cooperation in digital transformation by focusing on efforts to build a sustainable and inclusive digital ecosystem with concrete measures in the recent 27th ASEAN-China Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

"Based on China and ASEAN long shared partnership in this respect, I have no doubt that we have the capacity to shape AI policies and frameworks that can ensure ethical practices, data security, and fairness and leverage AI for regional resilience and prosperity," he added.

Vissoth said the future of AI lies not just in the algorithms but in the values and vision embedded within them. "Together, we can shape an AI-powered future that uplifts societies, strengthens economies, and fosters mutual understanding and especially reflects our shared aspirations: a future of fairness, resilience, and prosperity."

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Co-organized by the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of Cambodia and the China Institute of International Studies, the half-day symposium was attended by some 300 people.