JAKARTA, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning, China, is expected to lift bilateral ties to a new level by deepening cooperation in high technology, an Indonesian scholar has said.

"The expo will highlight Southeast Asia's economic potential while paving the way for sustainable cooperation with China," Klaus Heinrich Raditio, a lecturer in international relations at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Raditio said investment in high technology, such as information technology and artificial intelligence (AI), would significantly benefit the region, particularly Indonesia, where the tech-savvy younger generation dominates the population.

"It would be great to see more Chinese companies in the IT industries, especially in AI, software, semiconductors, and chips, investing in the region," he said.

According to Raditio, China has already invested in the IT and semiconductor industries in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. "It would be beneficial for China to expand such investments to more ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, which offers vast opportunities in AI, software and communications," he said.

He added that diplomatically, China and ASEAN have maintained regional stability through dialogue, consultation, and adherence to international law, while culturally, the two sides are drawing closer through growing people-to-people exchanges and tourism.

"These elements undoubtedly create a favorable environment for advancing economic collaboration between the two sides," he said. ■