Kuala Lumpur - The 2026 Land-Sea Economic Forum will open in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, bringing Chinese industries, ASEAN markets and the Gulf region together to explore a new AI-powered model for international cooperation.
Beyond the physical infrastructure of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the forum will promote “soft connectivity” through AI, localized branding and cross-border finance, linking Chinese advanced manufacturing with investment and growing demand across Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Gulf.
Guided by the Chongqing Municipal Government Information Office and hosted by the Western China International Communication Organization (WCICO), the gathering is expected to attract approximately 200 government officials, business leaders, top scholars, and media representatives.
AI governance and investment take center stage
The morning session will open with addresses from senior leaders, including YB Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Mohamed, Deputy President of Upper House of the Parliament of Malaysia, followed by keynote speeches on the economic, industrial and financial dimensions of the digital era.
YB Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Mohamed, Deputy President of the Upper House of the Parliament of Malaysia, will join the 2026 Land-Sea Economic Forum as an important guest.
Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority, will dissect how artificial intelligence is reshaping global productivity and competitive paradigms within the "China-ASEAN+" regional framework.
He will outline key priorities for inclusive and ethical technological growth, including AI governance and regulatory alignment, computing infrastructure, data center expansion, and localized multilingual large language models.
Dato' Andrew Goh Boon Kim, Deputy President of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing, will present Malaysia's national digital economy blueprints, foreign investment incentives, and targeted support mechanisms.
By combining Chinese technological capabilities and capital with local market needs, he will outline specific collaboration pathways in key sectors.
Beyond exports: turning ASEAN ambitions into local growth
The forum's roundtable sessions present a cohesive road map for regional engagement, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and scholars to tackle specific sectoral challenges in formed dialogues.
Guests of the roundtable three, which will provide enterprises with actionable frameworks for navigating data privacy, labor laws, and more.
The panels will unpack the complete investment cycle for smart transportation and new energy vehicles, exploring how companies can move beyond simple exports to establish fully localized ecosystems integrating KD assembly, port logistics, and supply chain finance, supported by insights from Tong Yifan, Deputy General Manager of CAERI Automotive Technology Co. Ltd.
This hardware focus is complemented by deep dives into the digital content landscape, where experts such as Kanesan Veluppillai, Managing Director of WE Communications Malaysia, will examine how multilingual large language models and AIGC tools can overcome cultural barriers to build a unified digital marketing ecosystem across different beliefs and languages.
Legal and academic experts, including Lee Heng Guie of the Socio-Economic Research Centre, will offer practical guidance on data privacy, labor laws, taxation and ESG standards to help companies operate sustainably in local markets.
Guests of the roundtable three, which will provide enterprises with actionable frameworks for navigating data privacy, labor laws, and more.
To turn high-level dialogue into business results, the forum will combine strategic research with targeted closed-door networking. A key highlight will be a flagship report jointly released by the WCICO and the Malaysia Foresight Institute.
Presented by Chang Peng Kee of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the report will propose a “double landing” strategy for production capacity and brand identity to close the gap between trade growth and brand awareness.
Its findings will feed into afternoon closed-door sessions offering Chinese automotive and technology companies tailored compliance advice and direct investment matchmaking.
Chang Peng Kee, Senior Research Fellow at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, will join the 2026 Land-Sea Economic Forum as the report release guest.