Keven Cheng, deputy executive director of market development at the Taiwan External Trade Development Council , said Taiwan and Malaysia were able to cooperate in AI, coding, green technology, healthcare and ICT design.

“We are good at ICT design. Malaysia is very strong in the semiconductors sector, especially testing.

“Under the current geopolitical and supply chain shift, we can cooperate and create more synergy, especially in semiconductors, ICT, advanced manufacturing, green energy and intelligent healthcare,” Cheng told reporters after the launch of the Taiwan Expo 2025 here.

The expo will feature over 200 Taiwanese companies, showcasing cutting-edge technology in AI, healthcare, wellness, green technology, and sustainability.

Cheng said over 10,000 visitors are expected at the event, which will be held from June 23 to 25 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, and that the focus for this year’s expo will be AI.

Taiwan-Malaysia trade increases

Cheng said Taiwan and Malaysia’s trade ties had proven to be profitable.

Last year, bilateral trade hit a record high of US$39.1 billion, making Malaysia Taiwan’s largest trading partner in Asean and its fourth-largest trading partner globally.

Between January and April this year, bilateral trade alone hit US$17 billion, he said. In May, he noted a 75% growth between the two countries from the corresponding period of last year.

“That shows how close and robust our cooperation is.”

Cheng said the growth was due to trust, complementing industries, and the Malaysian government’s growing digital ambitions, particularly in becoming a regional data centre hub.

“Taiwan can support this vision,” he said, adding that Taiwan develops software and can integrate it with Malaysia’s backend and electrical and electronics industry.

He said Taiwan’s support could extend across sectors, from server hardware and coding to AI software and cloud infrastructure.

He also spoke of an opportunity to collaborate on data centres, AI, and Industry 4.0.