Beyond Cultural Exchange: How Chinese and Malaysian Youth Can Build Trust Through Co-Creation

Editor’s Note: In this installment of our series on China–Malaysia youth dialogue, Jared Amadeus Abdul Rahman, a representative of Majlis Kebudayaan Negara, Malaysia, reflects on the deeper meaning of cultural exchange. He explores two questions: What draws Malaysian youth to China today? And what kind of exchange can truly build trust and understanding between the younger generations of both countries? His answer lies not merely in the exchange of information, but in co-creation — creating together, solving problems together, and seeing one another not as representatives of foreign cultures, but as members of a shared community.

---

For people in Sabah, Kaamatan is more than a traditional harvest festival. It is a time for us to reconnect with our roots and reflect on who we are, where we come from, and where we are heading.

When discussing what attracts Malaysian youth to China today, I think it is difficult to give a single answer because Malaysia itself is highly diverse. Young people engage with China through many different paths, including technology, education, language, history, culture, and popular media.

At the same time, China — or at least the idea of China — has become far more accessible than before. Social media, the internet, and increasingly convenient travel have shortened the distance between young people in our two countries.

I think many Malaysian youth today share a curiosity about how they fit into an increasingly interconnected Asia, and China is naturally an important part of that conversation.

As someone working in arts and culture, I believe meaningful cultural exchange is not simply about exchanging information. It is also about exchanging experiences.

To experience something is not merely to participate in it, but to feel it. And when people feel something, they begin to attach meaning to it.

“

Too often, cultural exchange is understood as attending performances, exhibitions, or conferences. While these are valuable, they are sometimes not enough. What creates deeper understanding is co-creation.

Whether through community arts projects, storytelling, or heritage documentation, trust develops when people work together toward a shared goal.

I think this is especially important for young people today. We live in an increasingly complex information environment where so much is consumed from a distance, and meaning can easily be lost in the process.

How do young people develop a sense of belonging? How do they understand their place in the world? Without that connection, it becomes difficult to truly engage with the wider world.

When people share the same space and work together, they gradually learn to understand both differences and common ground.

If Chinese and Malaysian youth have more opportunities to create, collaborate, and solve problems together, they may begin to see each other not simply as foreigners or representatives of another culture, but as members of a broader shared community.

I believe that relationships built through shared experiences and participation can become the foundation for deeper trust and understanding between Asian youth in the future.

(If you have specific expertise, or would like to share your thoughts, please send us your writings at CAobservation@outlook.com)