By Staff Reporters       

Robots throwing balls and AI used to solve logistics and transportation problems, were some of the entries battling it out for top honours at the 22nd Guangxi Adolescent AI and Robotics Competition and the Cross-Regional Invitational Tournament for Teenagers from ASEAN Countries, recently held in Guigang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

This competition saw the participation of approximately 1,600 domestic contestants as well as around 200 from Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. Four teachers and students from Brunei were also present as observers to the event.

"The wider participation from ASEAN countries is a vivid reflection of Guangxi's efforts to promote scientific and technological exchanges with ASEAN countries in recent years," said Li Ning, vice chairman of the Guangxi Association for Science and Technology.

With its geographical advantages and opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative, Guangxi has become an important window for exchange and cooperation between China and ASEAN, and is committed to building a scientific popularization community for ASEAN countries.

In 2019, the China Association for Science and Technology approved the establishment of the China-ASEAN Science Popularization International Exchange Center by the Guangxi Association for Science and Technology.

This center, officially inaugurated at the Guangxi Science and Technology Museum, integrates resources from various sectors such as science popularization associations, universities, enterprises, and research institutes, and continuously builds a high-end international science popularization exchange platform.　　

According to Li, the exchanges and cooperation between Guangxi and ASEAN countries on scientific popularization include organizing exchanges between teenagers, sharing resources, and building venues. For instance, through activities such as "Sending Training to ASEAN" and "Teaching the Same Science Lesson Together," high-quality scientific popularization resources are delivered to ASEAN countries.

The exchanges with ASEAN countries have also enriched resources for popular science activities in Guangxi, and enhanced friendship and understanding, said Huang Xinghua, director of the Guangxi Science and Technology Museum.

The museum is preparing for an ASEAN science exhibition. The AI science popularization exhibition by the museum will be moved to the China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Innovation Cooperation Conference. In addition, a new science museum is under construction in Pingxiang, Guangxi, where the Youyiguan Port (Friendship Pass) is located on the China-Vietnam border. It is expected to be completed in October and will become a new landmark for science communication between the two countries.