Written by Wang Gongqing / Translated by Mao Yuye

CAEXPO Witnesses the Growth of China-ASEAN Information Harbor

Written by Wang Gongqing / Translated by Mao Yuye

China-ASEAN Information Harbor Co., Ltd. was officially set up in Nanning, China.

Recently came a piece of exciting news about the construction of the core base of China-ASEAN Information Harbor in Nanning. It is reported that the Phase I project of Guangxi ASEAN Information Communication Center (the headquarter base of China Unicom in Nanning) has been completed; China-ASEAN Information Harbor Exhibition Center has been put into service; the production building of Wuxiang Information Communication Center of China Mobile Group Guangxi Company Limited has been put into use and the body of command and dispatch building has been roofed; the major part of the cloud computing center of Guangxi E-government Affairs Network has been fi nished and the interior decoration and the equipment installation is in progress; the information town in the core area of Wuxiang District is being projected; and smooth progress has been made in the negotiation of a large group of projects including Jingdong, ZTO, Yuantong and Suning Corporation.

These achievements have been gained through the concerted efforts made by the whole city of Nanning in promoting the construction of the Core Base of China-ASEAN Information Harbor.

Nanning, a city of beauty and energy, will hold a grand gathering of China and ASEAN — China-ASEAN Expo in every September. All-round development has been achieved in this city to serve the convocation of CAEXPO. The Core Base of China-ASEAN Information Harbor is a good example, and its growth has been witnessed by CAEXPO.

At the first China-ASEAN Cyberspace Forum during the China-ASEAN Expo in 2014, the initiative to build the China-ASEAN Information Harbor, proposed by the Off i ce of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs and the government of Guangxi, was actively echoed by ASEAN countries. During 12thCAEXPO in 2015, the fi rst China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum was successively held with the theme of “Internet + Maritime Silk Road — Win-win Cooperation”. At the forum, the discussion was held to explore the way to build the information harbor and make “Information Silk Road” generate tangible benefits for the enterprises and local people in the region; and the unveiling ceremony of China-ASEAN Information Harbor was launched. At the opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Information Harbor, Peng Qinghua, Secretary of the CPC Guangxi Committee, said that, by virtue of “Internet Plus”, with deepening connectivity of network and information and win-win cooperation as the basic content, China-ASEAN Information Harbor should be built into an information hub for China and ASEAN with Guangxi as a pivot, which will be of great signif i cance in pushing the implementation of the Belt and Road strategy.

Driven by the CAEXPO, with support from the State Council of China, a good start and smooth progress was achieved in the development of China-ASEAN Information Harbor. In April 2016, a development plan for China-ASEAN Information Harbor was approved by the State Council of China, which listed the China-ASEAN Information Harbor among the 13thFive-Year Plan Major Projects and stated clearly that five platforms involving infrastructure, information sharing, technological cooperation, economic and trade service and peopleto-people communication and a large group of major projects will be built. On June 17, 2016, China-ASEAN Information Harbor Co., Ltd. has been established for the building of China-ASEAN Information Harbor.

The 13thCAEXPO in 2016 continued to serve as the platform for the convocation of China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum, injecting impetus into the development of China-ASEAN Information Harbor. During the second China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum, themed “China-ASEAN Information Harbor— Join Hands and Share to Achieve Mutual Benefit”, a discussion on network infrastructure connectivity, peopleto-people exchange and cooperation and network security was launched. H.E. Chen Wu, Governor of Guangxi, stated that it is a magnificent project to build China-ASEAN Information Harbor and strengthen connectivity in network and information, and thus to promote China-ASEAN cooperation involving wider areas and deeper levels for the benefit of both peoples. It calls for not only the active efforts from China but also great support from AESAN countries. H.E. Kiev Kanharith, Minister of Information, Cambodia said that Cambodia is willing to support the building of China-ASEAN Information Harbor, and believed that this plan will not only help Cambodia march toward the 21stcentury but boost friendship and understanding between the peoples of Cambodia and China, laying a solid foundation for the peace in the region and beyond.

Thanks to great promotion by China and ASEAN countries and the CAEXPO, tremendous achievements were gained in building the core base of China-ASEAN Information Harbor in Nanning. At present, 64 major projects have been settled in Nanning, with total investment of 45.9 billion yuan. Except in the Wuxiang District, a group of projects such as the Phase I project of hi-tech area gathering inspection, detection and authentication services, Nanning-Zhongguancun Demonstration Base and Nanning Comprehensive Bonded Area (Phase I) have been launched in other development zones and urban areas.

China and ASEAN will be more closely connected by information and intelligence in the development of the core base of China-ASEAN Information Harbor. Meanwhile, the “Information Silk Road”, co-built by China and ASEAN, will be of great importance for the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the building of a closer China-ASEAN community of shared destiny.