China-ASEAN Expo Showcases Digital Innovation as Trade Partnership Deepens

The 24th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) opened on September 17 in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Foreign leaders and senior officials hailed the trade fair as a critical platform for enhancing economic integration and strengthening strategic ties between China and Southeast Asia.

Kao Kim Hourn, the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stated that over the past two decades, CAEXPO has evolved into "more than a showcase of trade and investment." He described it as a "catalyst for deeper integration, innovation, and long-term growth," citing last year's record of 3,300 exhibitors and growing ASEAN participation as evidence of its role as a premier cross-border business platform. Kao emphasized that the China-ASEAN partnership is "not only a growth engine for the region but also a stabilizing force for global trade and investment flows."

He also highlighted the latest upgrade to the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), calling it "a new chapter in our partnership" that focuses cooperation on technology and innovation. This move, he said, "sends a strong signal that ASEAN and China remain committed to upholding a rules-based trading system, even amidst rising geopolitical tensions and global uncertainties."

Myanmar's Prime Minister, U Nyo Saw, also underscored the expo's importance, noting that it has "strengthened China-ASEAN strategic ties" and created a vital platform for trade, investment, and tourism cooperation. He added that the expo significantly contributes to the development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister, Fadillah Yusof, called CAEXPO "a pivotal platform for promoting trade and investment, fostering mutual trust, strengthening regional linkages, and delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of ASEAN and China." He emphasized that the focus of the 22nd CAEXPO on "digital intelligence and innovation" came at "a defining moment," as ASEAN and China concluded negotiations for version 3.0 of CAFTA, which underscores their shared commitment to supply chain connectivity and digital transformation.

Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister, Tran Luu Quang, described the annual expo and summit as a symbol of the growing China-ASEAN economic ties over more than two decades. He emphasized China's role in regional cooperation and prosperity, noting that Vietnam is China's fourth-largest trading partner and that Chinese investment in Vietnam has increased sharply in recent years. He added that strategic alignment and transport connectivity, particularly in railway cooperation, are advancing rapidly, paving the way for smoother flows of goods and people between China, Vietnam, and ASEAN.

Finally, Cambodia's Permanent Deputy Prime Minister, Vongsey Vissoth, representing Prime Minister Hun Manet, praised the expo for "deepening friendship, peace, and cooperation." He described the upgraded CAFTA as "a new era in our regional economic partnership" that will expand market access and foster cooperation in digital technology, green energy, supply chains, and trade facilitation. He concluded by saying that Cambodia is committed to working with ASEAN and China to ensure the effective implementation of ACFTA 3.0, reflecting a shared aspiration to uphold an "open, fair, and rules-based multilateral trading system."

Source: People's Daily.