Institutionalising people-to-people ties: Asean-China

THE Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI) has yielded mutual benefits across Southeast Asian (Asean) countries by integrating cultural dialogue with economic and sustainable development.

Firstly, Asean-China youth engagement was strengthened through high-level exchange festivals, art exhibitions, and expanded scholarship programmes. These initiatives encouraged a better understanding of China among Asean youth.

In addition, the educational synergy led to multiple agreement signings and strategic alliances. By prioritising Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), vocational training, and digital literacy, these initiatives have significantly enhanced regional workforce competitiveness and cooperation.

On the cultural front, cultural and athletic diplomacy was promoted through initiatives such as Theatre Week and the Fujian Asia Pacific Music Festival.

By popularising traditional sports such as sepak takraw and hosting international aquatic competitions, these programmes have successfully utilised shared cultural experiences.

Meanwhile, tourism and connectivity were enhanced through the expansion of mutual visa-free regimes with countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, which have facilitated over 25 million cross-border visits.

This is supported by an 8.3% increase in weekly flight frequencies and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tourism initiatives, which enable seamless cross-regional travel. This highlights a recovery in tourism and security cooperation, positioning Asean-China travel as a cornerstone of international exchange.

Beyond connectivity, cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship has deepened, particularly through the third China-Asean Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (CAIEC) in Kuala Lumpur. The CAIEC served as a strategic catalyst for regional technological integration in the digital economy and green technologies.

Furthermore, a collaborative visit to the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation underscored the commitment to creating an enabling environment for digital expansion. By prioritising high-growth sectors such as AI and green energy, these initiatives have established regional technological synergy. For example, the "Mech Master" Robot Challenge and the 22nd Guangxi Adolescent Robotic Competition and Cross-Regional Robotics Invitational Tournament have successfully mobilised young innovators and entrepreneurs.

Notably, the 22nd Guangxi Adolescent AI and Robotics Competition highlighted Guangxi’s strategic role as a scientific popularisation window for China-Asean ties. The tournament involved 1,800 participants from Asean countries, which underscores a commitment to regional science and technology exchange under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The cooperation extends beyond competition to include resource sharing, teacher training, and infrastructure development, such as the new science museum at the China-Vietnam border.

In the healthcare sector, public health partnerships have seen significant developments through structured dialogues on infectious disease control, maternal health, and chronic disease management. Key initiatives, such as the Asean-China Symposiums on Health and Sustainability and the Asean-Guizhou Public Health Project Exchange Conference, have established scientific exchange platforms.

In addition, the strategic promotion of the Asean-Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Rehabilitation Promotion Asean Tour and the Asean-China Forum on Promotion of TCM Characteristic Preparations and Demonstration of Appropriate TCM Technologies, integrated with Western medical practices, have enhanced regional healthcare delivery.

At the governance level, cooperation and engagement have been strengthened through dialogues on state governance, public policy, and the rule of law, facilitating exchanges among policymakers and enhancing people-to-people understanding at the institutional level.

For example, China’s constructive mediation in the Thailand-Cambodia 2025 border dispute, highlighted by the trilateral Fuxian meeting, represents the Asean approach to conflict resolution. This diplomatic synergy reinforces regional stability for a shared future.

At the media level, the collaboration has transitioned towards a digital-first paradigm, leveraging short-video competitions and influencer engagement to achieve over one billion global views. The critical success of award-winning documentaries and high-impact reality programmes, which garnered over 3.5 billion views, demonstrates the effectiveness of integrated media in reshaping regional perceptions.

Finally, the civil society engagement has grown through flagship platforms such as the Leaders’ Meeting of Friendship Organisations. For example, Qingdao and the Greater Bay Area initiatives have catalysed practical synergies, shifting beyond conventional diplomacy to deepen the relationships at the sister-province/state and sister-city levels.

Among the Asean countries, Malaysia stands at the forefront of translating the GCI into practical programmes that blend youth development, economic sustainability, and cultural collaboration.

Forums focused on digital economies have equipped young Malaysians with skills in emerging technologies, while partnerships in sustainable palm oil production have transformed operations within Penang and Johor. In this regard, local cooperatives have integrated Chinese-developed green technologies, such as AI-optimised irrigation systems, which enable lower carbon emissions and increased crop yields for small-scale farmers. This directly supports the sustainability targets of Malaysia’s Ekonomi Madani initiative.

Despite these achievements, three contextual challenges remain in sustaining the long-term impact of the GCI.

First, Asean nations differ in their national priorities, development stages, and policy orientations. Although diversification is one of Asean’s strengths, it also means that GCI-related cooperation may advance at different speeds across nations and sectors. In this matter, some initiatives may align more significantly in certain local contexts than in others, depending on domestic needs and institutional readiness.

Next, there remains an execution gap between high-level commitments and domestic outcomes. While official regional forum agreements provide a solid foundation, translating these commitments into consistent and measurable community-level impact depends on several factors such as coordination, funding, and capacity. Under certain circumstances, people-to-people sustainability programmes may be constrained by weak follow-up mechanisms, administrative continuity, and the local stakeholders’ ability to maintain momentum.

Finally, as China-Asean cooperation increases, upholding balanced and reciprocal engagement becomes increasingly important. People-to-people exchanges are most effective when they are perceived as inclusive, locally relevant, and mutually beneficial. However, if the programmes are overly reliant on a top-down approach, their broader social impact may be limited.

Thus, the long-term credibility of the GCI will depend not only on the scale of cooperation, but also on local contextual sensitivity and the GCI’s ability to support genuinely shared interests.

DR KHOONG TAI WAI is an Associate Professor at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.

The SEARCH Scholar Series is a social responsibility programme jointly organised by the Southeast Asia Research Centre for Humanities (SEARCH) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT).