The 9th China-South Asia Expo, a vital platform for fostering economic and trade ties between China and South Asia, opened Thursday in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province.
As one of the most significant economic and trade platforms between China and South Asian nations in 2025, this year's event runs from Thursday to Tuesday under the theme "Solidarity and Coordination for Common Development."
It has attracted over 1,400 companies from 54 countries and regions, with Sri Lanka serving as the theme country and Thailand as the special partner nation.
Wang Dongming, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, attended the ceremony, joined by senior officials from Sri Lanka, Laos and Vietnam. They praised the expo's steady growth and voiced high expectations for fruitful outcomes.
The expo also features 11 specialized pavilions this year, focusing on green energy, advanced manufacturing, traditional Chinese medicine, and the coffee industry. These themed areas account for nearly 70 percent of total exhibition space, highlighting a shift towards specialization and professionalism.
9th China-South Asia Expo opens in southwest China's Kunming
More than 1,000 demonstrators took to the street in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to protest against the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minnesota earlier this week, as well as U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.
"And the brutality of ICE to shoot a woman in the head three times is appalling. And why we're allowing that, why is this happening in the United States? It's unbelievable. They're not taking just undocumented immigrants. They're taking everybody and they're asking questions later," said a protester who was only identified as Jonelle.
"[U.S. military striking on] Venezuela was completely wrong, completely wrong. Constitutionally, he had no right to do that. And the fact that the oil companies knew what he was going to do before even Congress or the military knew, just tells you everything you need to know," noted another protester, who was only named as Erin.
Analysts pointed out the protests reflect strong dissatisfaction among the U.S. public with the government's handling of both domestic affairs and foreign policy at present.
Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot dead on Wednesday by an agent of the ICE. The killing sparked outrage in the Democratic-led state and beyond, triggering protests and vigils aimed at ICE and federal immigration policy.
Protests erupt in Los Angeles against ICE, U.S. actions in Venezuela
