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Malay Mail
28-04-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
ECRL to supercharge east coast growth, lure fresh Chinese investments under BRI push
BEIJING, April 28 — The completion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project by the end of 2027 under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is poised to unlock the development potential of Peninsular Malaysia's east coast, home to the Kuantan Industrial Park, while attracting more Chinese investments. Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific (Bricap) president Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat said the project is set to improve the logistical connectivity between the west and east coasts of Peninsular Malaysia. Phase 1 of the ECRL, running from Kota Baru in Kelantan to the Gombak Integrated Terminal in Selangor, is slated for completion by December 2026, with operations scheduled to begin in January 2027. Phase 2, which will connect Gombak with Port Klang, is expected to be completed by December 2027, with operations starting in January 2028. In an interview with Global Times here, Ong said the new phase of high-quality BRI development will give the 'Two Countries, Twin Parks' project a renewed boost with the influx of new economic drivers in digital and green transition from China. 'Collaboration on renewable tech with China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL) and the location of Huawei's Asean hub in Malaysia bode well to boost Malaysia in realising its agenda for sustainable development,' he noted. According to the World Bank, the full implementation of proposed projects under BRI is estimated to increase trade by between 2.8 per cent and 9.7 per cent for economies along the corridors. Entering into the second decade, Ong, who is also the former transport minister, pointed out that the BRI is heading to a new phase of high-quality development, with priorities on green transition, sustainable digital initiatives, and 'small yet beautiful' projects. BRI is a global infrastructure development adopted by China in 2013 to invest on routes connecting Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America. In another development, Ong said the Global South and emerging markets economies are increasingly poised to be alternative engines of global growth amid rising protectionism, accounting for over 50 per cent of global gross domestic product growth. 'These developing nations, including Asean, Brics and African Union members are presently the rare bulwarks of multilateralism left in driving regional integration to counter trade fragmentation,' he emphasised. Leveraging on digital economy and diversification of supply chains alongside closer South-South cooperation, Ong said the evolving dynamics are set to reshape the world order into a multipolar model. In particular, he said the China-Asean economic and trade cooperation looks set to scale greater heights this year with the upcoming conclusion of the China-Asean Free Trade Area (Cafta) 3.0. 'Digital economy, green transition, and cross-border e-commerce will be the key initiatives for driving such cooperation,' he said. — Bernama
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CCTV4: CMG Launches Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies and Releases Southeast Asia Perceptions Report on the South China Sea
BEIJING, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 29, China Media Group launched the Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies in Sanya, Hainan Province, China. The Committee brings together 28 leading experts and professionals from institutions including the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of History, the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) , the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific (BRICAP), and the Institute for China-Indonesia Partnership Studies. Committed to advancing peace and development in the South China Sea through rational, impartial, and objective advocacy, the Committee pools intellectual resources to contribute expertise and momentum for regional stability and cooperation. Wu Shicun, Member of the Committee and Chairman of Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, stated that CMG Expert Committee on South China Sea Studies brings together multidisciplinary and multinational experts specializing in marine-related research, and that this new collaboration mechanism and platform will elevate policy discussions and intellectual exchanges in the South China Sea region to new heights. Ong Tee Keat, also Member of the Committee and former Minister of Transport of Malaysia, as well as President of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific, remarked that China-ASEAN cooperation serves as a successful model of regional integration and multilateralism, and that the launch of the Committee is highly timely. Peter T.C. Chang, Member of the Committee and visiting senior fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, emphasized that Southeast Asian nations should determine their regional destiny independently and autonomously by upholding the principle of an "ASEAN-centric" order. On the same day, CMG also launched the Southeast Asia Perceptions Report on the South China Sea. Academically supported by the Global Public Opinion Research Center at Renmin University of China, the report analyses public opinion polls and sentiment data collected from citizens in six Southeast Asian countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The findings indicate that the people of these nations have expressed a high level of recognition for resolving the South China Sea issues through diplomatic channels and dialogue. They are generally wary and concerned about external forces' intervention in the South China Sea. They also look forward to cooperation with China in the region. Link of Southeast Asia Perceptions Report on the South China Sea： View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE CCTV4 Sign in to access your portfolio
