The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) is scheduled to return to Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwestern China, for its 15th edition from September 12-15.
The theme of this year’s event is “Jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the China-ASEAN community of innovation”.
More countries, especially those along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, will be invited to attend the expo to create more business opportunities, said Wang Lei, the expo’s secretary-general.
Guo Chuanwei, an official from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, said he hoped China and ASEAN nations could bring more top-level firms to the trade event to deepen cooperation between the two sides.
Launched in 2004, CAEXPO provides an important platform to promote trade and other relations between China and ASEAN countries.
Last year, the trade fair took place in Nanning from September 11-13. Viet Nam was represented by 250 booths, the most among ASEAN countries, introducing various products, including farm produce, processed food, footwear, consumer goods, wooden products and handicrafts.
China is currently ASEAN’s largest trade partner, while ASEAN is China’s third largest trade partner. Trade between the two sides rose by 13.8 per cent to US$514.8 billion in 2017.
ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. — VNS