Keywords
Yunnan regional economy
Radiation center for South Asia and Southeast Asia
Digital economy
Industrial intelligence
Border opening-up
Submitted : 2026-05-17
Accepted : 2026-06-01
Published : 2026-06-16
Abstract
As the core technology in the era of digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI) is also a key engine driving high-quality regional economic development and enhancing the level of opening-up. As China’s radiation center for South Asia and Southeast Asia, Yunnan boasts border location advantages, a foundation of characteristic industries, and support from opening-up policies. The application of AI can not only activate the momentum of regional economic development within the province, but also strengthen Yunnan’s digital connectivity, industrial driving, and trade radiation capabilities to neighboring regions. Based on the current situation of Yunnan’s regional economic development and the requirements for building a radiation center, this paper analyzes the realistic foundation for AI to empower Yunnan’s economic development, expounds the core role of AI in the transformation and upgrading of Yunnan’s regional economy and the improvement of border opening-up, and finally puts forward targeted strategies from the aspects of overall planning, infrastructure consolidation and industrial integration. The research aims to provide useful references for Yunnan to take AI as the starting point to realize coordinated regional economic development and strengthen its radiation function for South Asia and Southeast Asia.
References
Chen LJ, Wang CG, Wang MJ, et al., 2025, Review and Prospect: The 10th Anniversary of China’s Peripheral Diplomacy and the Construction of a Radiation Center for South Asia and Southeast Asia. South Asian and Southeast Asian Studies, 2025(1): 1–36 + 155.
Liang M, 2024, Driving the Quality and Efficiency Improvement of Yunnan’s Plateau Characteristic Agriculture with New Quality Productive Forces. Socialist Forum, 2024(11): 12–13.
Mi JN, 2024, Generative Governance: A New Governance Paradigm in the Era of Large Models. Social Sciences in China, 2024(10): 119–139 + 207.
Wen X, Zhang C, Guo R, et al., 2024, Challenges and Suggestions for Promoting the Construction of Open Source Innovation Ecosystem of Large Models in China. Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39(8): 1313–1326.
Xue Y, Wei J, 2024, Research on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on High-quality Regional Economic Development. China Business & Trade, 33(14): 15–18.
Zheng XF, Liu Q, 2024, Promoting High-level Opening-up and Accelerating the Construction of a Radiation Center for South Asia and Southeast Asia—Summary of the Theoretical Seminar on “Steadily Expanding Institutional Opening-up between Yunnan and Neighboring Countries”. Journal of the Party School of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the CPC, 25(1): 169–172.
Xia S, Jia ZG, 2023, Seizing the Opportunity of the 10th Anniversary of the “Belt and Road” to Accelerate Yunnan’s Construction of a Radiation Center for South Asia and Southeast Asia. Globalization, 2023(6): 96–104 + 136.
Liu JH, 2023, Research on the Impact of Digital Finance on High-quality Regional Economic Development and Countermeasures. China Circulation Economy, 2023(20): 157–160.
Ma Y, 2023, Yunnan: Striving to Promote the Construction of a Radiation Center for South Asia and Southeast Asia. New West, 2023(8): 32–36.
Ren BP, 2023, Theoretical Logic, Practical Path and Policy Transformation of High-quality Regional Economic Development in China in the New Development Stage. Journal of Sichuan University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2023(3): 81–90 + 193.
Li JM, Yin Q, Zhang YZ, et al., 2023, Analysis on the Synergistic Effect of the Composite System of “Open Corridor-Border Port-Border Regional Economy”. Journal of Commercial Economics, 2023(5): 171–175.
Chen N, Cai YZ, 2023, Artificial Intelligence Technological Innovation and Coordinated Regional Economic Development—Analysis of Technological Development Status and Regional Impact Based on Patent Data. Research on Economics and Management, 44(3): 16–40.
Zhao SL, 2022, Building a Digital Hub for the Radiation Center for South Asia and Southeast Asia. Socialist Forum, 2022(10): 45–47.
Zhao RJ, 2022, Fully Building a Frontier Gateway for the Radiation Center for South Asia and Southeast Asia. Socialist Forum, 2022(6): 18–20.
Chen DY, Tang YG, 2021, Measurement and Analysis of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence Industry on Regional Economic Development. Science and Technology Management Research, 41(2): 138–144.