BY ANNABELL NAJA TOMMY and NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS
KUCHING: The South-East Asia Hainan-Hongkong Express Cable System (SEA-H2X) linking Hong Kong, China and Sarawak will be ready in 2024.
It is expected to meet growing demand for network bandwidth and high-speed connectivity in the China-Asean region, said Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Roland Sagah.
“It will also contribute to the development of a new network ecosystem for 5G evolution, boosting the global digital economy and creating new job opportunities,” he said.
The commencement of the SEA-H2X project will coincide with the launch of the China-Asean Alliance of Universities Innovation of CAIH Foundation Centre today (June 8).
Its executive director Channing Yang said 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.
He said the centre is an extension of the China-Asean Information Harbour (CAIH), which was established in September last year.
“It is founded by the Asia China Education & Cultural Association (ACEC), in collaboration with over 60 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,” he added.
Yang stated that CAIH has expanded from the 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,” he explained.
