More than 2,000 years ago, the "Maritime Silk Road," which started from Hepu of Guangxi and other ports in China, marked the beginning of friendly exchanges between people in China and Southeast Asia. With the passage of time, the consensuses of peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and mutual benefit have laid the foundation for mutual understanding between the people of China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. Over the past decade, China and ASEAN countries have been endeavoring to accelerate the building of the "Digital Silk Road" based on the building of the China-ASEAN Information Harbor, and the digital economy has become a major highlight of China-ASEAN cooperation.
Into the blue ocean
Let's turn the clock back to September 2014.
At the first China-ASEAN Cyberspace Forum held that year, the representative of Laos said: "Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia with no ports. Therefore, Laos is particularly in need of network and information connectivity." During the forum, China and the 10 ASEAN countries reached an agreement on the initiative of jointly building a "China-ASEAN Information Harbor." With the boom of the digital economy, China-ASEAN cooperation in the digital industry embraced important historical opportunities.
In October 2018, the China-ASEAN Information Harbor Lao Cloud Computing Center, established by China-ASEAN Information Harbor Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "CAIH"), was officially put into operation, becoming the first commercially operated cloud computing center in Laos. Cloud computing centers in Cambodia, Myanmar and other countries were established subsequently.
Zhang Tingting, deputy general manager in charge of daily affairs of CAIH, said that Laos, Cambodia and other countries are in great demand for cloud computing for business analysis and data backup, and it is a win-win choice for multiple parties to set up local cloud computing centers. However, there were occasional bumps during the construction of the projects.
The photo shows the exterior view of the Lao Cloud Computing Center. (Provided by CAIH)
During a critical period of building the Laos Cloud Computing Center, rainstorms lasting for days caused once-in-a-century floods. The only road connecting the airport with the computer room was destroyed, making it difficult for products to be transported to the destination. As the handover date of the project approached, Zhang decided to resort to water transportation for the road section that had been destroyed. During that special period, it was apparently difficult for a foreign company to find ships. Eventually, with the assistance of the Chinese and Lao governments, the project team coordinated three ships to transport the equipment weighing up to 5 tonnes to the computer room as scheduled, and successfully completed the deployment and debugging. The fast speed and responsible attitude for the handover of the project have proved the company's potential for sustainable development in the local market.
"The general transition from short-term service to long-term cooperation of the business in ASEAN countries shows the ASEAN markets' recognition of Chinese companies and their positive expectations for the digital industry's development in the future," said Zhang.
The Lao Cloud Computing Center adopts innovative artificial intelligence hybrid clouds, distributed computing and other new-generation information technologies, contributing to the improvement of local network infrastructure, the enhancement of digital capability, and the digital transformation of enterprises. Meanwhile, CAIH is also providing technological support and consulting services to Laos, and has created GChat, an instant messaging platform for civil servants of Laos. This software has facilitated the daily online work of over 8,500 civil servants.
In Cambodia, the "IT support cloud" built by the company not only satisfies the local demand for cloud computing but also helps reduce IT operating costs. The building of the "business cloud" has moved Cambodia's existing telecom business to cloud servers, and promoted the development of telecom and multimedia services in China and Cambodia. In addition, CAIH also provides a "public service cloud" for local users. By building IaaS, PaaS and SaaS platforms, companies are able to provide cloud services to local users even in distant countries and regions.
Setting sail for a brighter future
The digital economy empowers a bevy of industries, thus facilitating economic development and improving people's lives.
A Thai driver said: "My main job is to transport latex. In the past, customs clearance required manual verification and I had to wait for a long time. Now, with facial recognition, it can be completed in as little as 10 minutes." Information about ASEAN foreign trade enterprises is saved in advance on the China-ASEAN digital platform for business and trade, which integrates transactions, customs clearance, finance and logistics. It only requires a simple scan for clearance after the goods are transported to a port, greatly improving the efficiency of customs clearance and transportation.
Imer from Malaysia said: "With the Elinking app on my phone, I can easily pay the bills for water, electricity, and phone calls with a few simple taps. I can also watch the news and play games. Life is much more convenient than before, and many of my friends have installed it after my recommendation." The Elinking app developed by CAIH for ASEAN users integrates new communications and mobile internet technologies, and provides multiple types of localized services. It was first used for commercial purposes in Malaysia and has won enormous popularity.
"Indonesia plans to build its new capital Nusantara into a smart and sustainable ecological city. There is huge potential for digital industry cooperation, and earlier cooperation has been showing effects," said Gan Qiuling, executive president of CAIH. At the Indonesia-China Smart City Technology and Investment Expo 2023 held in Jakarta in May, Indonesian Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia and Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir shared their views on smart buildings, smart transportation and new smart city solutions. They expressed the hope that CAIH will actively promote the application of innovative, advanced and practical technologies in Indonesia, and improve the quality of life in the new capital at a fast pace.
"The China-ASEAN Information Harbor involves a wide range of sectors. Enterprises from China and ASEAN countries have taken projects as the firm foundation, and jointly deepened and consolidated industrial cooperation," said an official with the service division for building the CAIH of the Information Center of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
With a history of thousands of years, the "Maritime Silk Road" has witnessed the bustling scene of "numerous ships dotting the sea" and promoted the close ties between China and ASEAN countries. Today, riding on the "Digital Silk Road" and guided by the China-ASEAN Information Harbor, CAIH and many other companies are contributing to steering regional cooperation toward a brighter future. (By Fan Chao, Wu Changwei, Zhang Ge)
On January 15, 2018, a staffer introduces relevant business at the China-ASEAN Information Harbor. (Xinhua)
The photo taken on January 15, 2018 shows a visitor in the China-ASEAN Information Harbor. (Xinhua)
A single purchase
