NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will spotlight new business opportunities under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0 framework, with more than 3,400 companies from over 70 countries and regions set to participate, event organizers said on Wednesday.
Scheduled to run from Sept. 17 to 21 in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the expo will cover about 170,000 square meters, showcasing the latest achievements in China-ASEAN cooperation.
Under the theme "CAFTA 3.0 Opportunities, Better Life," the expo will feature products and projects in areas ranging from traditional industries to digital communications, green development and artificial intelligence (AI).
A dedicated AI marketplace will display more than 500 products, while a new exhibition area will highlight demand from ASEAN countries for projects and applications in transport, smart logistics, AI, urban management and industrial park development.
Science and technology authorities and high-tech institutions from countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand will send delegations to the expo.
Timor-Leste will participate for the first time as a full ASEAN member and a co-host of the expo, bringing all 11 ASEAN member states together in Nanning following the bloc's expansion.
Over 50 trade and investment promotion activities will also be held during the expo, 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. Signed in October 2025, the protocol covers areas such as the digital economy and green development.
Economic ties between China and ASEAN have continued to deepen. Bilateral trade topped 1 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time in 2025, totaling 1.05 trillion dollars, up 7.4 percent year on year. In the first seven months of 2026, trade between the two sides reached 744.41 billion dollars, an increase of 24.7 percent year on year and accounting for 21.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for six successive years. ■
