Malaysia, China sign MoU to exchange science and technology expertise , improve green and digital economy

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and China today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Expertise Exchange Program in Science and Technology, an extension of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation Agreement that was signed between the two countries on October 4, 2013.

The MoU will, among other things, lead the scope of cooperation, including the exchange program of scientists and researchers, collaboration between research institutions, and the joint organization of academic programs and conferences with the involvement of international scientists and researchers.

Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Chang Lih Kang said in a statement today that the move is in line with the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030, which focuses strategically on economic growth towards innovation-driven industrial development and involving higher value-added activities.

“The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), as the leader of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in the country, has also set priority areas with high growth and high value (HGHV), especially technology-based industries such as hydrogen, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and space technology,” he said.

The signing of the MoU was held in conjunction with the official visit of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang to Malaysia. The exchange of MoU documents was completed by Chang and Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing, witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Li in a ceremony here today.

Through Malaysia-China bilateral cooperation that involves increasing capacity and expertise in various STI industries, Chang said it will contribute to the empowerment of knowledgeable and highly skilled talents capable of driving the development of high-impact strategic industries in the country.

“This special cooperation network for the exchange of expertise and research in STI is expected to provide beneficial added value to both countries in addition to attracting more extensive research cooperation as well as promoting scientific progress and stronger bilateral economic development,” said Chang.

At the same time, Malaysia and China today agreed to increase cooperation in the economy and trade, as well as in the digital and green economies.

The effort was implemented through the signing of three main documents between the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz, and China’s Minister of Trade, Wang Wentao.

The exchange of documents was witnessed by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and his counterpart, Li Qiang, in Putrajaya.

According to MITI in a statement, the first document, which is the Five-Year Program for Economic and Trade Cooperation (2024-2028), will strengthen cooperation in existing fields including trade and investment, manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, the digital economy, logistics, and the development of small and medium enterprises (SME).

“The agreement also encourages business participation from other countries, as well as from international multilateral organizations and international financial institutions.

“In addition, two new Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) have also been signed, with the aim of increasing the flow of high-quality investments in the fields of digital economy and green economy,” according to the ministry today.

According to MITI, through the MoU on Digital Economy, the two countries intend to explore cooperation, including communication network infrastructure, smart infrastructure, and smart cities, enabled by the integration of interactive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G connectivity.

Meanwhile, the Green Development MoU aims to explore cooperation in clean energy, new energy vehicles, green finance, sustainable infrastructure construction, and green technology.

“This collaboration also involves research and development (R&D), such as the establishment of scientific and technological innovation platforms to accelerate the green transformation of both countries,” said MITI.

In the meantime, Tengku Zafrul, in the same statement, said the signing of the three documents in question emphasized the mutual commitment to create stable, reliable, and resilient cooperation for the development of Malaysia-China business and economy.

He said MITI will work closely with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and stakeholders to fully realize the results of the collaboration.

Regarding the Single Window Cooperation in Cross-Border Trade, Tengku Zafrul said MITI welcomes Malaysia-China cooperation to streamline the trade regulatory process and simplify documentation to enable the digital exchange of trade information between the customs authorities of the two countries.

“This kind of digital exchange will be enabled using advanced technologies, including AI and blockchain, to ensure real-time, smooth, and accurate data exchange while expanding the scope of trade facilitation services to importers and exporters.

“The single window trade initiative between Malaysia and China is a strategic step towards enhancing Malaysia’s trade facilitation capabilities and is expected to significantly accelerate and streamline the movement of goods while reducing the administrative burden for businesses,” he added.

Tengku Zafrul said the move would not only support the growth of bilateral trade but also foster economic resilience between Malaysia and China.

In 2023, China will remain Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years since 2009, with a trade value of RM450.84 billion (US$98.90 billion).

Relations between Malaysia and China are getting stronger following the increase in bilateral relations through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2013.