[The World Bank raises its economic growth forecast for the East Asia and Pacific region this year] On October 6, the World Bank released an updated economic forecast report for the East Asia and Pacific region on the 6th, raising the economic growth forecast for the region in 2026 to 4.5%, 0.3 percentage points higher than the April forecast. The upward revision to economic growth is largely due to the country's strong performance in high-tech investment and exports as part of the artificial intelligence value chain, the report said. The drag from high energy prices was less severe than expected, thanks to a combination of market forces, increased use of renewable energy, drawing down inventories and consumer subsidies. The World Bank said that economic growth in many economies in the region this year has exceeded previous expectations, driven by the manufacturing and export of high-tech products. Among them, the economic growth forecasts for Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand this year have been raised by 1.1 percentage points, 0.7 percentage points and 0.7 percentage points respectively. The economic growth forecast for Pacific island countries, which are sensitive to high energy prices and have limited buffers against external shocks, has been lowered by 0.5 percentage points this year. Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, said that global artificial intelligence-related activities have increased significantly, and the East Asia and Pacific region has benefited from its deep integration with global value chains. The challenge now is to translate the region’s strengths in producing AI-related goods into widespread AI applications that boost productivity and lead to more and better jobs.