On October 25, 2023, the Malaysia Belt and Road Summit opened grandly in Kuala Lumpur. The conference was co-sponsored by local think tanks Southeast Asia Social Science Research Center and the Institute for Regional Strategy. The theme of the conference is Prosperous Malaysia and Win-Win Cooperation along the Belt and Road, aiming to explore how to promote Malaysia’s economic and social progress by deepening the Belt and Road cooperation.

As an important member of ASEAN, Malaysia plays a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative. The summit is held to strengthen collaboration among ASEAN countries and promote the comprehensive implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia.

During the meeting, participants conducted in-depth discussions on the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia. They believe that the Belt and Road Initiative has brought new opportunities to the economic development of Southeast Asia and also opened up new paths for cooperation among ASEAN countries. Participants suggested that ASEAN countries should improve the level of connectivity and promote extensive cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and other fields to achieve a mutually beneficial and win-win situation.

In addition, the meeting also conducted in-depth discussions on how to strengthen cultural exchanges among ASEAN countries. Participants believed that cultural exchanges are an important way to bring people closer to each other and an important means to promote the Belt and Road Initiative to gain popularity in Southeast Asia. Editor/Xu Shengpeng