BRI partners push for tech-driven phase

June 24, 2026 (MLN): Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partners are calling for a new phase of cooperation centered on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, data centres and digital trade, moving beyond the physical infrastructure that defined the initiative's first decade.

At a BRI investment forum in Beijing, officials and business representatives from Malaysia, Laos and Serbia outlined how existing connectivity links could serve as foundations for higher-value industries, with each country presenting a distinct vision for deeper economic integration with China, APP reported.

Malaysia's Low Kian Chuan, chairman of the Malaysia-China Business Council, described potential cooperation spanning semiconductors, electric vehicles and renewable energy  framing the opportunity as a combination of Chinese technology, ASEAN manufacturing capacity and global market access.

His council's director Zhang Guolin positioned Malaysia as a semiconductor and AI infrastructure hub, noting the country accounts for around 13% of global chip assembly, testing and packaging capacity, and pointed to Nvidia's collaboration with Malaysian firm YTL on AI data centres.

Laos, meanwhile, is looking beyond the China-Laos Railway  one of BRI's most prominent Southeast Asian projects  toward agricultural processing, cold-chain logistics, digital customs and smart warehousing.

Oudet Souvannavong, president of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the railway's success should ultimately be measured not by border-crossing speeds but by whether the full supply chain  from production to delivery  functions cohesively.

Serbia's Marko Cadež, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, said his country was seeking stronger ties with China in AI, robotics, electric vehicles and digital technology.

He noted Serbia already operates two supercomputers and expects a third by year-end, with ambitions to become Southeast Europe's largest supercomputing cluster, complete with an AI factory and standalone 5G network.

The shift carries significant challenges. AI data centers require reliable power, water supply and clear data governance frameworks, while digital trade depends on customs alignment and trusted cross-border data flows.

Semiconductor ecosystems demand both specialized talent and supply-chain depth conditions that take years to develop.

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