KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Chang Lih Kang said he hopes to draw on China's experience to better harness science and technology for the well-being of Malaysians.
Chang, who has visited China multiple times, recently led a delegation to Xiamen in the eastern province of Fujian and Yinchuan in the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where he also attended the Sixth Belt and Road China-Malaysia Business Dialogue. The journey from China's southeastern coast to the northwestern interior gave him a more tangible sense of how China develops and applies technology across vastly different regions.
Chang highlighted the drone technology he observed during the trip. "The low-altitude economy is still very new to Malaysia. Some aspects of it we are already applying, for example, in agriculture, but there are some that we have not yet used," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.
"We hope to apply it as soon as possible in areas such as logistics and transportation with drones, and also in using drones to create clouds. I think Malaysia and China have a lot of room for cooperation," he added.
The year 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan as well as the beginning of the 13th Malaysia Plan. Chang noted that the key areas that Malaysia will focus on in science and technology, including advanced materials, hydrogen energy, and biotechnology, closely align with China's competitive industries, opening up even broader prospects for bilateral cooperation.
"The focus of the 13th Malaysia Plan is on how to commercialize scientific and technological achievements," Chang said. "The problem Malaysia is facing is that we have a lot of good scientific research products and there is no way to industrialize them; this is a serious problem," he explained.
"Malaysia can take advantage of China's already very advanced scientific and technological capabilities to help us commercialize faster and turn our scientific research into an industrial dream ... to better benefit the people of Malaysia through science and technology," he said.
Beyond connecting technology and industry, Chang is also looking at talent cultivation. "Our ultimate goal is to transform from a technology user into a technology exporter, and talent is the most important capital," he said.
"We want to strengthen the exchange of research personnel between the two countries, not only high school teachers, but also students and companies. In terms of training, we aim to have a complete training plan so that there will be no talent gap," the minister added.
On investment cooperation, Chang said Malaysia welcomes Chinese companies to invest and do business in the country, while also hoping to see Malaysian companies establish a presence in China.
"The two countries, though at different stages of development, are highly complementary and enjoy broad cooperation space, and Malaysia shares a high degree of cultural, linguistic and lifestyle affinity with China," he said.
Looking ahead, Chang said, "We have had several joint research and development projects, all centered on hydrogen energy, clean energy, advanced materials, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. These are areas where we can deepen joint development," he said. ■
