China–ASEAN Expo Highlights Tech & โคEconomic Partnership with CAFTA 3.0 Upgrade
NANNING, Sept. 17 โ(Xinhua) – The 22nd china-ASEAN โExpo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Buisness and Investment Summit opened Wednesday in Nanning, Guangxi, showcasing strengthened economic and technological collaboration betweenโฃ China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Theโข five-day event features over 3,200 enterprisesโข from 60 countries across nearly 160,000 square meters of exhibition space.
Aโค key focusโข of this โyear’s expo is โคArtificial Intelligence (AI), with a โขdedicated 10,000-square-metre pavilion – the largest โคsingle-theme hall in โCAEXPO history.โ This spotlight โon AI โฃcoincides with the upcoming upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) to version 3.0, finalized in May and expected to be formally โsigned by year-end.
Chinese Vice Presidentโค Han Zheng emphasized the โฃsuccess of the china-ASEAN thorough strategic partnership, calling it “the most accomplished and dynamic model of regional cooperation in the asia-Pacific.” He encouraged โขparticipants to leverage the CAEXPO andโ summit to “share opportunities and โคjointly shape the future.”
ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim hournโ noted the expo’s evolution beyond trade and investment, now serving as a “catalyst for deeper integration, innovation and long-term growth.” He stated that CAFTA 3.0 demonstrates a continued โcommitment toโฃ a rules-based trading system despite global challenges.
CAFTA 3.0 prioritizes technology and innovation,โฃ aiming to deepen supply chain integration and foster regional prosperity. This theme is reflected in theโ expo’s motto: “Digital Intelligence and Innovation Empower Advancement – Leveraging China-ASEAN FTA 3.0 New Opportunitiesโ for an โฃEven โCloser China-ASEAN Community withโ a Shared future.”
Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth underscored theโข “urgent need” for โคcooperation in leveraging digital technology and innovation to build a prosperous and โpeaceful โฃregion.
Official data โconfirms โฃtheโข strength of the partnership,with China remaining ASEAN’s largest tradingโข partner for 16 โคconsecutive years,and ASEANโค being China’s largest trading partner for the past five years.