China’s Guangxi Eyes ASEAN Cooperation On Medical Imaging AI

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Guangxi plans to work with ASEAN partners on cross-border clinical testing of medical imaging artificial intelligence (AI) after hosting a national competition for AI tools designed to help doctors detect diseases.

The 2026 National Healthcare Security Medical Imaging AI Recognition Competition, held in Nanning on Oct 22 and 23, drew 1,332 registered teams, including participants from ASEAN member states, with 66 entries reaching the finals.

Co-hosted by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration and the Guangxi regional government, it featured eight categories, including lung cancer detection using CT scans, brain tumour analysis using MRI and breast cancer screening using mammography.

Entries were judged not only on detection accuracy but also on how well they handled images from different hospitals and equipment, since a model that performs well at a major medical centre may not do so at a smaller hospital, according to a statement.

In the mammography category, a team involving Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People’s Hospital and a local technology company developed a model to identify breast masses and tiny calcium deposits that may indicate disease, with radiologists helping engineers refine it.

Guangxi has introduced a three-year action plan to support the commercialisation and application of technologies emerging from the competition, covering product validation, industry development, clinical testing and cooperation with ASEAN partners.

First Hospital of Jilin University director of radiology and president-elect of the Chinese Society of Radiology, Zhang Huimao said medical imaging data infrastructure could support not only clinical care but also AI model development, testing and evaluation.

However, strong competition results do not mean an AI tool is ready for hospital use. Models need clinical validation across different institutions, equipment and patient populations, as well as regulatory approval where required.

AI is intended to support rather than replace doctors, who must still consider patients’ symptoms, medical histories and other test results when making decisions.

-- BERNAMA