Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

While the US crackdown on China's semiconductor and high-tech industries threatens to disrupt the global supply chain and trigger technology protectionism, China-ASEAN cooperation in science and technology has proven to be efficient and of high quality. A high-level forum gathering officials, scientists, and industry insiders from China and ASEAN countries, is scheduled to be held in China from Wednesday to Saturday. The hosting of the forum makes one thing clear: at a time when the US is doubling down on its tech war, China is working in the opposite direction by making great efforts to enhance global and regional cooperation in science and technology.

With a focus on artificial intelligence and the health industry, this year's forum will be held in Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, media reports said. Inaugurated in 2013, the forum has grown into an important platform for showcasing high-tech achievements and promoting cooperation between China and ASEAN countries.

Science and technology are at the center of a politically motivated crackdown by the US government. The essence of a US technology cold war is to exert all its power at its disposal to suppress and intimidate China in the high-tech field, weaken China's capacity for innovation, and thereby obstruct China's economic development. In June, several Republican lawmakers wrote an open letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the government not to renew China-US Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, which is set to expire on August 27. However, seeking a tech war to isolate China and, by doing so, to prolong America's technological hegemony will only prove futile. The more pressure China receives, the stronger our resolution will be to develop indigenous innovation and be more open to international cooperation in science and technology. 

Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang delivered a keynote speech by video at last year's forum and said China has always regarded ASEAN as a priority partner for international science, technology and innovation cooperation. A statement on the ministry website said the China-ASEAN Technology Transfer Alliance has been established. As the first mechanism set up in China for technology transfer cooperation with ASEAN countries, the alliance will bring together innovation agencies with strong science, technology and innovation capabilities and resources in China to align more effectively with the innovation needs of ASEAN countries.

The US-initiated Cold War-style confrontation on the technological front can lead to a fracture of technological research and development in the world, and what is also at stake is the global flow of talent. In contrast, China-ASEAN cooperation in science and technology has provided mutual benefits and greatly contributed to narrowing ASEAN's talent gap in emerging industries. Wang said last year the ministry will continue to put forward programs and proposals such as the Talented Young Scientist Program, and organize China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Camps with ASEAN countries to promote regional innovation and prosperity.

Asian countries are now the fastest growing economies in the world thanks to rising wealth and booming exports. Some ASEAN countries, such as Vietnam, are now at a critical stage of ramping up their manufacturing, and talents are the foundation for achieving strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive economic growth, especially in high-end manufacturing sectors. China-ASEAN cooperation can help ASEAN countries to enhance local talent building, improve the quality of labor force, cultivate local talents, put scientific research into daily use and carry out public welfare activities. China has more advantages than the US in these aspects. Our cooperation is not only mutually beneficial, but more importantly, it is more in line with the actual development needs of ASEAN countries.

Several years ago, when the US started to initiate an all-out tech war against China, some observers viewed the Cold War-style confrontation as a US strategic tool to contain China's rise, because Beijing might be isolated by Washington's economic "decoupling" push and lose out. But what result it eventually achieved? China has accelerated its efforts to build its self-reliance and strength in science and technology, with rapidly expanding international cooperation. China's growing circle of friends is a result of a combination of its commitment to multilateralism and cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit, as well as its growing influence in the high-tech field.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn