From factories to smart cities: Malaysia-China ties enter the AI Era [BTTV]

 By Sharen Kaur - April 21, 2025 

KUALA LUMPUR: As President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to Malaysia last week, the bilateral spotlight is shifting from conventional trade to emerging, high-tech domains — including artificial intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure, and smart city development.

"This marks the beginning of a transformative phase," said Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan, chairman of the Malaysia–China Business Council (MCBC).

It's a new era driven by advanced technologies and a shared vision for sustainable, future-ready development, he said.

Low said Malaysia stands to benefit greatly from Chinese technological expertise, especially through collaborations involving universities, public agencies, and private enterprises.

Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and President Xi witnessed the signing of 31 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), including a landmark agreement on AI and the digital economy.

The timing couldn't be better. Chinese AI powerhouses like DeepSeek and Unitree are rising fast on the global stage, while stalwarts such as Baidu, Huawei, Tencent, and BYD continue to dominate and innovate across industries.

"The MoUs unlock real opportunities, especially for SMEs," said Low, adding that key benefits will come in the form of digital transformation, talent upskilling, joint research, and student mobility programmes.

"As outlined in the Smart City Framework under the 12th Malaysia Plan and the MyDigital initiative, digitalisation is not a luxury; it's essential to accelerating recovery and growth and improving quality of life," he told Business Times.

For Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong, executive chairman of I-Berhad, this tech-driven shift is a natural evolution of a journey that began over four decades ago.

A trailblazer in Malaysia–China business ties since the 1980s, Lim is now focused on driving i-City—Malaysia's first privately funded MSC Cybercentre township in Selangor—into its next phase: a regional hub for AI-powered urban living.

"In the '80s, I built factories. Today, I'm building an AI city. We've always stayed ahead, from launching Tier III-certified data centres to rolling out fibre-to-unit and 5G connectivity," Lim told Business Times.

Now, i-City is evolving to support real-time AI integration, including robotics, energy management, automated public services, and traffic optimisation, he said.

"With leaders like Baidu, DeepSeek and Unitree, we're no longer just building cities. We're building cities that can think, adapt, and evolve."

Lim's connection to China runs deep. In 1984, he became the first Malaysian to establish a joint venture in China, setting up factories in Tianjin, Shanghai, and Dalian, as well as a power plant in Jiangyin.

 

Tan Sri Lim Kim Hong, executive chairman of I-Berhad played a key role in supporting early entries into China for companies under the PNB Group in the 1980s.

In the 1990s, he advised Tan Sri Robert Kuok of the Kuok Group on business ventures in Tianjin and helped connect him with local leaders, including Mayor Zhang Li Chang. He also played a key role in supporting early entries into China for companies under the PNB Group.

Today, his focus has turned to smarter, more adaptive cities.

Lim is in active talks with top Chinese AI firms to explore real-world applications — from traffic optimisation and energy management to automated public services and community-based AI systems.

Meanwhile, Low said that as Malaysia–China relations deepen, visionary leaders like Lim are helping steer that journey—turning shared ambition into real-world impact and paving the way for cities that are not only smart but also inclusive, adaptive, and future-proof.

"Leaders like Lim have built more than just businesses; they've built trust. He proved early that Malaysian brands like Dreamland can thrive internationally. And through i-City's smart city collaborations with China Mobile and Huawei, he's turned Malaysia into a living lab for next-gen Chinese tech."

Low said that in times of global uncertainty, Lim's resilience and vision continue to reassure investors and inspire a new wave of cross-border entrepreneurs.

"He's more than a businessman. He's a bridge of trust, continuity, and innovation between nations," Low said.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2025/04/1204916/factories-smart-cities-malaysia-china-ties-enter-ai-era-bttv