Experts suggest practical AI cooperation in Asia

Asian economies should turn their complementary strengths in artificial intelligence into practical cooperation, starting with manufacturing and other shared needs as technology competition complicates regional ties, experts said at a symposium in Beijing on Friday.

At the symposium themed Economic Cooperation in Northeast Asia Against the Backdrop of a Dynamic Asia-Pacific Region, which was co-held by the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University, and China Daily's Opinion Channel, speakers outlined opportunities to connect the region's strengths in semiconductor materials, memory chips and industrial applications, while addressing obstacles such as export controls, differing data rules and security concerns.

Ni Yueju, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics, highlighted the complementary capabilities of Northeast Asian economies, with some good in semiconductor materials and precision components, some adept at advanced memory chips, and China at AI applications, engineering and a large market, she said. These capabilities create opportunities for cooperation across the AI supply chain. However, geopolitical tensions and regulatory differences make it necessary to identify projects with clear commercial benefits and fewer political sensitivities, she said.

Sustaining cooperation takes trust, said Lim Guan Chye, director of Commercial Banking Training, Asian Banking School, Malaysia. "Connection does not automatically produce cooperation, and growth does not automatically produce shared prosperity," he said.

Transparency, accountability and sound governance help build trust, Lim said. He called for cooperation on standards, digital capabilities and cross-border risks, coupled with investment in skills to help workers and smaller businesses benefit from new technologies.

Hyun Sang Baek, chief representative of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy's Beijing office, pointed to manufacturing AI, industrial robots and smart manufacturing as promising starting points.

Industrial upgrading and population aging create common needs across Northeast Asia, providing scope for cooperation despite differences in national policies, he said.

Phou Sambath of Cambodia's Royal University of Phnom Penh illustrated how such cooperation could work. AI can help factories detect defects and anticipate maintenance needs, improve logistics planning and help farmers assess crop conditions. He called for investment in digital skills, knowledge transfer and compatible systems so that smaller businesses and developing economies can participate. "Move from dialogue to joint projects and real-world solutions," he said.

Professor Li Dongxin of Shandong University's School of Northeast Asian Studies said intensifying competition has not erased the region's production networks and technological ties. The cost of replacing suppliers and adapting technical interfaces gives economies a strong incentive to keep working together.