Can China outsmart the United States in the race to build smart cities in Southeast Asia?
- Region is at the heart of the geopolitical rivalry between the two economic giants, experts say
- Both have committed to regional partnerships but US is struggling to make its mark
A year ago, US Vice-President Mike Pence announced that the United States would support a Southeast Asian plan to transform the region’s rapidly growing cities into hi-tech hubs.
The scheme, known as the Asean Smart Cities Network, involves 26 cities – from Bangkok to Yangon – that had come together to tackle shared problems associated with rapid urbanisation and expanding populations. The plan was to embark on a digital makeover and apply cutting-edge technologies to everything from dealing with river pollution and fighting disease, to improving tax collection and cutting crime.
The move would “spur renewed American investment in the region’s digital infrastructure”, Pence said at the plan’s launch in November 2018, where he also promised an initial US investment of US$10 million.
In the meantime, China announced last month that it had launched its own regional partnership to support the Smart Cities Network, which aims to “harvest the opportunities” of the digital revolution.