The maritime cooperation between Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, China and East Coast Economic Region (ECER) under the maritime Silk Road / Tian Linlin

Tian , Linlin (2024) The maritime cooperation between Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, China and East Coast Economic Region (ECER) under the maritime Silk Road / Tian Linlin. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

The China-Malaysia maritime economic and trade relationship has a long history. Since then, Malaysia had joined the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative and has developed close ties with China in terms of trade, regional development, and civil relations. "The Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) initiated by China in 2013 has created different patterns of mutual trust in Malaysia's development landscape and has fostered closer regional cooperation in terms of maritime development. The Guanxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, China, and the East Coast Economic Zone, Malaysia as an important economic development zone of the two countries of the maritime trade, has very large location advantages and geographic advantages but lacking in terms of research. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by analyzing the ongoing cooperation between the two economic zones and China since the signing of the BRI. This study is examined in the context of the background of BRI and ongoing Malaysia-China cooperation projects. This study employs a combination of qualitative approach, as well as library research including interview. The finding shows that the background of the Silk Road, the location advantages of the two economic zones, and the current status of cooperation between the Guanxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone and the East Coast Economic Zone in several ways, pointing out the positive effects of the cooperation projects between the two zones especially Kuantan port that has a potential to become a major hub port in the ECER area with major ports in southern China. It had also contributed to the development of the local economy, employment, and further improvement of the port infrastructure. At the same time, the two economic zones are also facing uneven regional economic development, serious brain drain, as well as inconsistent policies towards China by Malaysia government, and the same trade structure. This study suggests some countermeasures to the problems that exist between the two economic zones, such as scientific planning, harmonious development of the various industries, a sound management system for the economic zones, and adapting the best practices from Singapore industrial park model and the role of the Chinese diaspora as a link between the two economic zones under the Belt and Road Initiative.

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