KUALA LUMPUR: Digital and green technologies are set to be the core drivers of China-Malaysia and China-Asean cooperation, with renewable energy, sustainable industry and high-tech innovation leading the way, says Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing.
Ouyang noted that this year marks the end of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and the start of the 15th.
Over the past five years, China’s economy crossed several major milestones, with GDP rising above 110 trillion yuan, then 120 trillion yuan and 130 trillion yuan, reaching more than 134 trillion yuan in 2024 – an average annual growth of 5.5%.
China’s contribution to global economic growth, he said, has remained steady at around 30%.
He highlighted significant improvements in China’s innovation capacity, pointing to a 2.6-fold increase since 2020 in exports of the “new three” products – electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic goods.
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“More than 31 million new energy vehicles now operate in China, accounting for more than half of the world’s total.”
He also noted that China’s renewable energy production now accounts for roughly 60% of total electricity generation, and hydrogen energy output has surpassed 36 million tonnes.
“China has made a significant leap from being a global manufacturing hub to a global innovation centre.
“The green and low-carbon industry is flourishing, and the country’s achievements in AI, quantum communication and frontier technologies are driving breakthroughs across entire industrial chains,” he said during the speech at the opening of the Global Chinese Economic and Technology Summit 2025 here yesterday.
As Asean Chair in 2025, Malaysia has played a significant role in advancing regional economic integration, he added.
The signing of the China-Asean Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol here on Oct 28 – witnessed by Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Asean leaders – was an important step forward.
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He said China and Asean, already each other’s largest trading and investment partners, are now broadening cooperation beyond traditional trade to include digital, green and supply-chain connectivity.
Ouyang added that Kuala Lumpur’s role in hosting the fifth round of China-US economic and trade consultations has also drawn global attention.
“The positive outcome of the talks shows that, through dialogue and cooperation based on equality, respect and mutual benefit, both sides can find solutions.
“China has the confidence, determination and capability to inject greater certainty and stability into China-US economic ties and the global economy,” he said.
