2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference and the Second Green Industry and Sustainable Consumption Expo — The 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference was held from October 20 to 22 at the Huangpu Expo Park in Shanghai. PovSomnang, President of the ASEAN Economic and Trade Promotion Association, attended and delivered a keynote speech.
PovSomnang noted that global supply chains are undergoing restructuring, with resilience, green development, and responsibility becoming new benchmarks for evaluation. Industrial collaboration between China and ASEAN is of great significance to regional and even global sustainable development.
He noted that China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for six consecutive years. From January to July this year, bilateral trade reached US$744.41 billion, up 24.7% year on year. With the implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, cooperation between the two sides has shifted from the traditional vertical division of labor to comprehensive, three-dimensional coordination across industrial chains, supply chains, and value chains, with the digital economy and green economy incorporated into the institutional cooperation framework.
PovSomnang stated that green manufacturing is the core engine of supply chain restructuring. The China-Laos cross-border grid interconnection project, the expansion of new energy and photovoltaic trade, and the mutual recognition of carbon footprint standards are consolidating the foundation for regional green cooperation. Responsible practice is the value foundation, and green transformation should not become a trade barrier. It is necessary to balance ecological protection, labor rights, and community development, and to promote the implementation of ESG due diligence management.
He noted that the ASEAN Economic and Trade Promotion Association continues to advance practical projects covering resource recycling, green agriculture, industry-education integration, and cross-border talent cultivation.
PovSomnang said ASEAN will adhere to the concept of inclusive growth, take the Free Trade Area 3.0 version as a starting point, rely on institutional innovation and mutual recognition of standards, continue to deepen green supply chain cooperation, and support regional resilient growth. The ASEAN Economic and Trade Promotion Association is willing to serve as a bridge and continue to promote the green transformation of China and ASEAN.
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