TLDR: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is rapidly establishing itself as a pivotal regional hub for Artificial Intelligence growth, leveraging its strategic geographical location to foster extensive China-ASEAN cooperation. Initiatives like the ‘AI Super League’ and the establishment of the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Collaborative Innovation Center (CAAIC) are driving innovation, talent development, and the application of AI across diverse sectors, including manufacturing, automotive, and agriculture, with a strong focus on inclusive and ethical AI governance.
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is making significant strides in becoming a leading regional hub for Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation and application, strategically positioning itself as a bridge for enhanced China-ASEAN cooperation in the digital sphere. This concerted effort is underpinned by various initiatives and policy frameworks aimed at accelerating AI development and its integration into the real economy.
At the forefront of these efforts is the ‘AI for All: China-ASEAN’ initiative, also known as the ‘AI Super League,’ organized by the Guangxi regional government. Launched in July, this technology contest has rapidly evolved into a premier platform for fostering collaboration between China and ASEAN member states. The league has attracted over 3,300 teams from across China’s 31 provincial-level regions and ASEAN, with 329 ASEAN teams competing in nine diverse categories, including cross-border e-commerce, cultural tourism, automotive innovation, and modern agriculture. Lu Xinning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Guangxi Committee and vice governor of the Guangxi People’s Government, highlighted that the competition has transcended its initial role as a technology contest, creating an innovation community that promotes inclusive AI development and marks a shift towards digital cooperation between China and ASEAN.
Further demonstrating its commitment, Nanning, Guangxi’s capital, hosted the finals of the Artificial Intelligence+Automotive Innovation Competition on September 6. This event, themed ‘Intelligence Drives the Future: Empowering the New Era of Automotive Development with AI,’ showcased how AI is revolutionizing the automotive industry. Phoy Yong Hao, Chief Operating Officer of Malaysian auto service company ServAuto Sdn Bhd, expressed his deep impression, noting China’s mature AI development and the exciting prospects for China-ASEAN AI cooperation in the automotive trade. Liu Kainan, executive president of Guangxi Minzu University’s Xiangsihu college, emphasized the competition’s goals of translating cutting-edge technologies into real-world applications in Guangxi, empowering local small and medium-sized enterprises, and providing students with valuable exposure to advanced application environments.
Guangxi’s strategic geographical advantage as China’s gateway to ASEAN is being fully leveraged to establish a cross-border industrial ecosystem. Major Chinese AI companies are integrating cooperation with Guangxi into their internationalization strategies. iFLYTEK, a prominent Chinese AI and intelligent speech giant, exemplifies this by developing an ASEAN edition of its iFLYREC multilingual meeting system, supporting all 10 ASEAN languages, and an AI Chinese-learning platform for ASEAN countries. Liu Qingfeng, chairman of iFLYTEK, stated, ‘Our collaboration with ASEAN is not just about exporting AI tools, but about building a shared ecosystem for innovation and growth.’ He added that iFLYTEK, in conjunction with Guangxi, aims to build ‘a new high ground for AI cooperation rooted in Guangxi, serving ASEAN, and reaching the world.’
In March 2025, Guangxi unveiled its ‘AI + Manufacturing Action Plan (2025-2027),’ which mandates the establishment of the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Collaborative Innovation Center (CAAIC) in Nanning. This center is envisioned as a regional innovation and application hub, accelerating the supply of AI software and smart terminal products. Liu, from China’s AI industry, noted China’s rapid AI advancement, which is ‘breaking the long-standing monopolies of a few countries in core AI technologies.’ He further stated that China is contributing to global AI development by offering ‘Chinese solution’ and ‘Chinese wisdom,’ with the goal of transforming the ‘Guangxi experience into an ASEAN solution’ through CAAIC.
Guo Sha, CAAIC’s chief scientific officer, highlighted Guangxi’s unique advantages, including its geographical proximity and similar climatic conditions with ASEAN countries, making it an ideal partner. He emphasized that ‘AI-powered agricultural technologies developed in Guangxi can be readily applied by farmers across the region, helping them control pests and diseases, raise crop yields, and ultimately improve their livelihoods.’ The region is also actively promoting joint AI talent development, with CAAIC launching collaborative projects with universities in Laos and Thailand to cultivate local AI expertise. Furthermore, the center is partnering with ASEAN countries to promote sound and fair AI governance, addressing critical issues such as cross-border data flows, data security, privacy protection, and the ethical use of large AI models. Chang Liang, deputy director of Guangxi Big Data Development Bureau, affirmed that these initiatives are set to position CAAIC as a key platform for regional cooperation and shared development, ensuring that ‘AI for all’ benefits all countries.
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The 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) also underscored the region’s focus on AI, with pavilions showcasing AI and new quality productive forces, further solidifying Guangxi’s role in driving innovation and collaboration across the region.
