Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises Awareness on the Belt and Road Initiative

  • Chew Keong-Wai , Poh-Chuin Teo , Theresa C. F. Ho , Mui Yin-Chin , Chu Le-Chong

Abstract

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is deemed to be one of the biggest investment and
infrastructure projects in Asian business trade. The initiative is an economic and diplomatic
programme which could transform global trade, with an associated potential economic size
amounting to US$21 trillion. China’s economic reforms have opened up new investment
opportunities and spurred the emergence of new trading zones, particularly along the BRI
routes. This study employed a person-administered survey to explore the sources of information
regarding the BRI available to Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and to gauge
their awareness of the initiative. The results of the analysis revealed that the main source of
information about the BRI for Malaysian SMEs was the Internet, followed by
friends/relatives/associates, magazines, television, radio and others. Furthermore, in general,
the sampled SMEs showed a favourable level of awareness towards the initiative. Policymakers
from both Malaysia and China, however, are recommended to establish an official platform for
local Malaysian SMEs to gain access to information about the available financial support
through the BRI, which could further increase their awareness of the financial integration
advocated under the BRI.

Published
2020-05-10
How to Cite
Chew Keong-Wai , Poh-Chuin Teo , Theresa C. F. Ho , Mui Yin-Chin , Chu Le-Chong. (2020). Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises Awareness on the Belt and Road Initiative. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(10s), 324 - 331. Retrieved from http://sersc.org/journals/index.php/IJAST/article/view/14432
Section
Articles