On July 16, 2026, the Network of ASEAN-China Think-tanks (NACT) working group meeting on 'Aligning Digital Governance Norms between China and ASEAN: Toward a Stronger Regional Digital Order' was successfully held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Co-hosted by NACT China and NACT Indonesia, the meeting brought together more than twenty experts and scholars from China and ASEAN countries.

Opening remarks were delivered by Professor Dafri Agussalim, Director of the ASEAN Studies Center of Universitas Gadjah Mada; Ma Xiaohui, Counselor of the Chinese Mission to ASEAN; Han Zhili, Research Fellow of the Institute of Asian Studies of CFAU; and Sivaram Superamanian, Head of the Digital Economy Division of the ASEAN Secretariat.

Cao Heng and Fan Sichen of the BRICS Digital Ecosystem Cooperation Center of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) presented China's positions on China-ASEAN AI development and governance cooperation. The two representatives systematically introduced China's practical achievements in AI development and governance, covering application deployment in the domestic AI industry, the open-source ecosystem, and information communications and manufacturing, as well as achievements in building an agile and coordinated governance system. On this basis, they analyzed in depth the solid foundation for China-ASEAN AI cooperation and put forward specific proposals for deepening bilateral cooperation from three dimensions: co-building digital infrastructure foundations, creating an innovation ecosystem, and cross-border AI governance coordination.

The participating experts held in-depth discussions on topics including AI governance, cross-border data flows, cybersecurity and digital capacity building, agreeing that on the basis of respecting institutional differences among countries, priority should be given to trust building and practical cooperation, and that through strengthening policy dialogue, promoting mutual recognition of standards and deepening cooperation through mechanisms and platforms, the inclusiveness and interoperability of regional digital governance should be gradually enhanced. The meeting provided valuable policy recommendations for deepening China-ASEAN digital economy strategy alignment and supporting the realization of the digital goals of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

After the meeting, the participating experts and scholars conducted field visits to Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs and Huawei's Indonesia office. During the visits, the Chinese representatives focused on introducing the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance held in Shanghai, China in July 2026, and its milestone outcome — the official establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. These measures demonstrate China's commitment, as a provider of international public goods upholding the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and a people-centered philosophy, to bridging the global digital and intelligent divide and advancing the common development of the Global South.