China and ASEAN nations launched their first ministerial dialogue on artificial intelligence on Thursday, establishing a new forum for cooperation as both regions advance AI innovation and integration.

Ministers and officials from China and ASEAN countries attend the China-ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept. 18, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn by CAEXPO]

The inaugural China-ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence, co-hosted by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the regional government of Guangxi and held during the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning, marked the highest-level AI talks between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

It aimed to build a regular mechanism for policy exchange, advance pragmatic cooperation and share the dividends of digital transformation.

Chen Gang, secretary of the CPC Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of Guangxi People's Congress, said Guangxi is committed to developing the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center into a key hub for innovation and collaboration.

Wang Changlin, deputy head of the NDRC, stressed that AI has become a new driver of growth and regional integration, adding that China is ready to work with ASEAN partners to strengthen governance, policy coordination and talent development.

Southeast Asian officials said AI adoption presents both opportunities and challenges. Laos Technology and Communications Minister Boviengkham Vongdara said AI has great potential in education and health care, but raises ethical and security concerns requiring responsible governance. Cambodia's telecommunications ministry official Sok Puthyvuth called AI central to the country's digital transformation strategy.

Parulian George Andreas Silalahi, deputy chief of mission of the embassy of Indonesia in China, said AI plays a crucial role in achieving the country's Vision 2045 development goals. Thai digital economy official Tiranee Achalakul emphasized the need to develop AI talent and regulatory frameworks. Unny Sankar Ravi Sankar, Minister (Economic Affairs) at the embassy of Malaysia in China, underlined Malaysia's efforts to create an enabling ecosystem for AI development.

Officials from Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Brunei and Timor-Leste outlined their national AI strategies and called for stronger capacity building, better data infrastructure and more inclusive innovation.

A view of the venue for the China-ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence during the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept. 18, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn by CAEXPO]

The ministerial roundtable announced several cooperation initiatives, including the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center, Laos' national language model, joint AI standards between China and Laos and China and Cambodia, a financial AI service network, and an ASEAN AI open-source community. Officials also unveiled an Indonesian AI innovation lab and iFLYTEK's multilingual large language model for ASEAN.

Participants agreed that the ministerial roundtable and China-ASEAN Expo will provide an important platform for dialogue, concrete projects and building mutual trust in digital cooperation.

The expo, which runs annually in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is a key platform for trade and investment cooperation between China and Southeast Asia.