On 21 January 2025, Consul General Mr. Ahmad Phadil Ismail was interviewed by Guangxi Radio and Television, at the Chancery in conjunction with the upcoming Two Sessions of Guangxi, namely the 4th Session of the 13th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the 5th Session of the 14th People’s Congress.
During the interview, the Consul General reviewed the dynamic exchanges between Guangxi and Malaysia over the past year. He highlighted the high-level visit from Guangxi to Malaysia in April 2025, which resulted in the signing of an MoU on AI collaboration. He also underscored Malaysia's remarkable performance during the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), where the Malaysian delegation was led by the Honourable Dato’ Sri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister II and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation. The event featured Malaysia’s strong participation from 70 exhibitors, recording total sales of close to RMB 650 million.
Talking about China's 15th Five Year Plan, he opined that it creates significant alignment with the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA 3.0) and presents a great opportunity for ASEAN to deepen partnership with China in high-tech supply chains and green energy. He underscored that Malaysia welcomes increased Chinese investment in technology-driven sectors such as digital economy, renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and semiconductors. He also stressed that Malaysia is seeking cooperation with China in the processing and downstream manufacturing of rare earth elements.
He welcomed the “AI for All” China-ASEAN Competition hosted by Guangxi in 2025. He highlighted that such competitions set crucial shared standards and security measures on AI that can lead to a safe AI ecosystem. He also emphasized that competitions can serve as a form of Track II diplomacy, enabling students, educators, researchers, and businesses to exchange expertise, solve technical challenges, and build mutual trust.