China’s Guangxi province launches ‘AI super league’ to nurture Asean-facing start-ups


The competition, titled “AI for All”, will run through September and features 17 tracks, including automobile, tourism, cross-border e-commerce, smart agriculture, and market regulation.

Hosted by the Guangxi regional government, the kick-off took place simultaneously in eight cities: Guangxi’s capital Nanning, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.

“Hong Kong’s AI ecosystem is thriving, supported by strong research capabilities and over 1,000 AI enterprises across Cyberport and Science Park,” said Sun Dong, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, during his speech at the ceremony in Cyberport.

“This competition aligns with our strategy to elevate AI as a key industry, accelerating Hong Kong’s economic transformation and deeper integration with Asean.”

Start-up founders speak at the launch ceremony on Saturday. Photo: Nora Tam
Start-up founders speak at the launch ceremony on Saturday. Photo: Nora Tam

Bordering Vietnam, Guangxi has long been a centre for cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, having hosted the China-Asean Expo for 22 years. Asean has been Guangxi’s largest trading partner for 25 consecutive years, with total trade volume reaching 398 billion yuan (US$55.4 billion) in 2024, marking a 17 per cent increase, according to official data.

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