Dr Annuar: SEA Hainan-Hong Kong Express Cable System expected to be operational by 2024

0

Dr Annuar (third left) gives his thumbs-up as he poses for a group photo with Yang (third right) and others.

KUCHING (June 9): The South-East Asia Hainan-Hong Kong Express Cable System (SEA-H2X) which links Hong Kong, China and Sarawak is expected to be operational by 2024, said Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dr Annuar Rapaee.

He said the project offers great growing demand for network bandwidth and high-speed connectivity in the China-Asean region.

“It also contributes to the development of a new network ecosystem for 5G evolution, boosting the global digital economy and creating new job opportunities,” he said at the launch of the China-ASEAN Alliance of Universities Innovation of China-AseanInformation Harbour (CAIH) Foundation Centre at Asia China Education and Cultural Association (ACEC) office here yesterday.

With 12 terrestrial and three submarine cables now fully in operation, SEA-H2X, the new international backbone submarine cable connecting Sarawak to China and major Asean countries in 2024, makes Sarawak an important digital technology and digital economy node for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

As a land access point and the core site of Asean Zone 1, Sarawak will drive the development of the local telecommunications industry at a multiplied rate, by providing more potential opportunities for local digital technology and industrial upgrading

On the China-Asean Alliance of Universities Innovation of CAIH Foundation Centre, Dr Annuar said the centre will promote regional technological and industrial upgrading.

“It will also create high-quality employment opportunities through the simultaneous implementation of digital communication infrastructure development and talent training,” he added.

According to a press statement, the inauguration of the China-Asean Alliance of Universities Innovation of CAIH Foundation Center coincides with the commencement of The South-East Asia Hainan-Hong Kong Express Cable System (SEA-H2X) project.

The center is the extension from CAIH, which was established in September last year. It was founded by ACEC in collaboration with over 60 top universities such as the University of Electronic Science and Technology of Guilin (GUET), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (UPT), as well as renowned enterprises like Huawei and over 100 international companies and governments of the Asean region.

CAIH has expanded from digital economy, big data and artificial intelligence to a wider range of fields such as digital health and digital creativity.

At present, the alliance has cooperated with China Asean universities and many enterprises in various fields such as training of innovative talents, research platforms, cooperation between industry, academia and research, and transformation of achievements in the field of digital technology.

To help achieve the advancement of digital economy and technology, ACEC has organised a month-long series of industry-academia-research collaboration events.

By sharing the latest trends in the digital economy and technology with experts from universities, governments, and industries around the world, the public will be shown examples of solutions and applications of new technologies in various industries and city management.

GUET general secretary Tang Qiuping and ACEC executive director Yang Chengcheng pointed out that the China-Asean Alliance of Universities Innovation of CAIH Foundation Center will bring in top academic and industry experts, as well as government and industry resources to provide internationally competitive and leading programmes for young students in Sarawak and the Asean region.

The Centre will also provide Belt and Road Digital Economy scholarships in supporting local students to study abroad, internships, and employment in renowned international enterprises.

Other benefits include organising short-term internships, exchanges, and academic upgrading programmes for local graduates and government bodies to visit China.

ACEC adheres to the principles of promoting cultural education, by providing a cross-cultural exchange service and collaboration platform for the alliance universities through cross-cultural industry-academia-research exchange, joint training of talents, sharing of scientific research information, and joint incubation of achievements under the normalisation of the epidemic. At the same time, China-Asean alliance resources will be gathered to carry out cross-cultural industry-academia-research cooperation in the RCEP region.

With Sarawak’s strong power and resource reserves, ACEC works with universities, government and industry to promote beautiful Sarawak as an important hub for the development of digital technology industries in the China-Asean region.

Among those present at the launch were Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching Xing Weiping and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Deputy Rector (Research and Industrial Linkages) Assoc Prof Dr Abang Zainoren Abdurahman.