The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) commenced on September 17 in Nanning, marking a significant milestone in regional cooperation. This year's event coincides with the accelerated implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) 3.0 and the first gathering of all 11 ASEAN member states in Nanning following the bloc's expansion.
Four key highlights of the expo underscore the collective confidence and determination of China and ASEAN in addressing global economic challenges, reflecting shared aspirations for promoting high-quality regional economic growth.
First, a full reunion of ASEAN's 11 member states deepens regional integration. Timor-Leste participates as a co-organizer for the first time, achieving a "family portrait" of all member nations. Timor-Leste showcases its specialty products, and its Chamber of Commerce joins the ASEAN-side chairmanship of the China-ASEAN Business Council for the first time, participating in summits and business federation meetings to connect with the Chinese market and integrate into the broader China-ASEAN economic network. Several ASEAN-focused events debut this year, including the "Export to China" Thailand special session, which supports Thai premium goods entering the Chinese market, and the RCEP and CAFTA Collaborative Development Dialogue, which analyzes how these two agreements benefit ASEAN and releases annual reports alongside green and digital trade case studies.
Second, the expo addresses ASEAN's practical needs to help businesses capture commercial opportunities. To turn China-ASEAN FTA 3.0 cooperation consensus into tangible market opportunities for enterprises, the expo introduces an ASEAN Demand Exhibition that publishes an ASEAN demand list. Covering areas such as artificial intelligence, park cooperation, smart city logistics, and cultural tourism, it gathers project and policy information from ASEAN nations, facilitating on-site matching between ASEAN project owners and Chinese enterprises and research institutions. Additionally, a newly established Future Space and Sci-Tech Enterprise Growth Empowerment Exhibition Area showcases frontier technologies in satellite navigation, commercial aerospace, and deep-sea equipment, offering ASEAN-ready advanced solutions.
Third, cooperation in emerging sectors deepens to build a new engine for economic growth. Expanding high-level open cooperation into digital economy and other emerging fields marks a new frontier in China-ASEAN FTA collaboration. The AI exhibition area at this expo features a first-ever AI consumer "megamall," with over 40 companies displaying 230 AI products across eight categories, creating a one-stop "exhibit, shop, sell" experience. A newly established community exhibition zone highlights AI cooperation cases implemented in ASEAN, using roadshows and competitions to adapt Chinese AI solutions to local ASEAN scenarios. The China-ASEAN AI Supply-Demand Matching Conference also uses an AI intelligent matching system to provide trade pairing services, connecting Chinese AI products and solutions with precise application scenarios in ASEAN countries.
Fourth, the expo expands new space for economic and trade cooperation while unlocking inbound consumption potential. Finance serves as critical support for elevating China-ASEAN trade ties. During the expo, the financial exhibition area—supported by the People's Bank of China—displays AI+finance, fintech globalization, and financial openness, leveraging digital finance to upgrade economic cooperation. China will also jointly issue a cooperation initiative with eight ASEAN nations to promote the coordinated output of standards, talent, and industries. Moreover, a "departure tax refund service zone" debuts at the expo venue, allowing overseas buyers to process tax refunds on-site for purchases made at any refund-designated store in Nanning, enhancing shopping convenience and boosting inbound consumption.
Over the years, the expo has evolved into a vital platform for deepening China-ASEAN connectivity. Through these innovations, the institutional dividends of the China-ASEAN FTA 3.0 are being converted into tangible cooperative opportunities, driving deeper integration of policies, industries, and markets to inject stability and fresh momentum into regional and global development.
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