23rd China-ASEAN Expo to Highlight CAFTA 3.0 Opportunities
Nanning (ANTARA) - The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will highlight new business opportunities within the framework of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0, with more than 3,400 companies from over 70 countries and regions scheduled to participate, according to event organisers on Wednesday (16/9).
Scheduled to take place from 17 to 21 September in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, the exhibition will cover an area of approximately 170,000 square metres, showcasing the latest achievements in China-ASEAN cooperation.
Carrying the theme “CAFTA 3.0 Opportunities, A Better Life”, the expo will feature various products and projects across multiple sectors, ranging from traditional industries to digital communications, green development, and artificial intelligence (AI).
A specialised AI marketplace will showcase more than 500 products, while a new exhibition area will highlight various demands from ASEAN nations for projects and applications in transport, smart logistics, AI, urban management, and industrial zone development.
Science and technology authorities and high-tech institutions from several countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, will send delegations to the exhibition.
Timor-Leste will participate for the first time as a full member of ASEAN and as a co-host of the expo, meaning all eleven ASEAN member states will gather in Nanning following the expansion of the regional bloc.
More than 70 trade and investment promotion activities will also be held during the exhibition, focusing on trade and investment facilitation, regional economic integration, and cross-border industrial and supply chain cooperation.
China and ASEAN are working to accelerate the implementation of the CAFTA 3.0 Upgrade Protocol. The protocol, signed in October 2025, covers various fields such as the digital economy and green development.
Economic relations between China and ASEAN continue to deepen. Bilateral trade surpassed the US$1 trillion mark (US$1 = Rp17,687) for the first time in 2025, reaching a total of US$1.05 trillion, a 7.4 per cent increase year-on-year.
In the first seven months of 2026, trade between the two parties reached US$744.41 billion, an increase of 24.7 per cent year-on-year, accounting for 21.8 per cent of China’s total foreign trade.
China has maintained its position as ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China’s largest trading partner for six consecutive years.