Opening Ceremony of the ASEAN-China Year of Digital Economy Cooperation Was Launched

Date:2020-06-12
Place:

attended the opening ceremony and made speeches via teleconference. ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi pointed out that ASEAN is transitioning toward a digital economy.He said that the digital economy in ASEAN is expected to account for 8.5 percent of GDP in 2025, up from 1.3 percent in 2015. To harness the momentum, ASEAN is formulating a comprehensive strategy for the fourth industrial revolution, which aims to solve problems in industrial governance, economic and social development. Given its high expertise in developing digital infrastructure and building a regulatory framework for the digital economy, China is indeed a valuable partner for ASEAN in promoting the digital economy in the region. On behalf of the ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting mechanism, Lao Minister Thansamay Kommasith congratulated the launching of the ASEAN-China According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, under the theme of "Combating COVID-19 Through Joint Efforts, Embracing Cooperation Through ICT and Digital Development", this year ASEAN and China will co-host a series of activities, covering smart cities, big data, AI and other fields. By creating more exchange platforms and improving communication mechanisms, the two sides will share experience in digital epidemic prevention and control, digital infrastructure and transformation, and explore flexible and diversified cooperation models to share the dividend of digital economy and benefit all the people in the region.

On 12 June 2020，the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China Year of Digital Economy Cooperation was launched via teleconference. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, whose country chairs the ASEAN rotating presidency, sent congratulatory messages to the event. Mr. Miao Wei, Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology, presided over the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Mr. LIM Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Mr. Cao Quoc Hung, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam, together with ministers in charge of digital economy or information and communication of the ASEAN Member States including Dr. Thansamay Kommasith, Chair of ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting and Minister of Post and Telecommunications of Lao PDR, Mr. Dato Abdul Mutalib Yusof, Minister of Transport and Info Communications of Brunei, Mr. Vandeth Chea, Minister of Post and Telecommunications of Cambodia, Mr. Johnny G. Plate, Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Indonesia, Mr. Zaidi Zain Abidin, Deputy Minister of Communication and Multimedia of Malaysia, Mr. Thant Sin Maung, Union Minister of Transport and Communications of Myanmar, Mr. Emmanuel Rey Caintic, Assistant Secretary of Department of Information and Communications Technology of Philippines, Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister of Communications and Information of Singapore, Mr. Buddhipongse Punnakanta, Minister of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand and Dr. Phan Tam, Vice Minister of Information and Communication of Viet Nam, attended the opening ceremony and made speeches via teleconference. ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi pointed out that ASEAN is transitioning toward a digital economy.He said that the digital economy in ASEAN is expected to account for 8.5 percent of GDP in 2025, up from 1.3 percent in 2015. To harness the momentum, ASEAN is formulating a comprehensive strategy for the fourth industrial revolution, which aims to solve problems in industrial governance, economic and social development. Given its high expertise in developing digital infrastructure and building a regulatory framework for the digital economy, China is indeed a valuable partner for ASEAN in promoting the digital economy in the region. On behalf of the ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting mechanism, Lao Minister Thansamay Kommasith congratulated the launching of the ASEAN-China According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, under the theme of "Combating COVID-19 Through Joint Efforts, Embracing Cooperation Through ICT and Digital Development", this year ASEAN and China will co-host a series of activities, covering smart cities, big data, AI and other fields. By creating more exchange platforms and improving communication mechanisms, the two sides will share experience in digital epidemic prevention and control, digital infrastructure and transformation, and explore flexible and diversified cooperation models to share the dividend of digital economy and benefit all the people in the region.