15th China-Northeast Asia Expo kicks off in Jilin

The 15th China-Northeast Asia Expo opened on Wednesday in Changchun, the capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, with representatives from 45 countries and regions worldwide gathering at the event to explore new cooperative opportunities.

The five-day expo, jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the Jilin provincial government, remains the world's only comprehensive international expo jointly attended by all six Northeast Asian countries and open to participants from around the globe.

Themed "Joining Hands in Northeast Asia for a Shared Future Through Openness," this year's expo boasts an impressive lineup with 24 Fortune Global 500 companies and 14 China Top 500 companies in attendance.

The expo includes four themed exhibition halls: modern industry, opening up and cooperation, new consumption and services, and products. Notably, nearly 200 booths showcasing artificial intelligence and related products are particularly eye-catching.

Covering a total exhibition area of 73,000 square meters, the expo features 3,620 international-standard booths of companies from abroad, as well as those from China’s Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan region.

"I noticed that the scale of this year’s expo is very large. The platform is very unique as it can not only help us foster economic and trade relations with China but also enables cooperation with other countries in Northeast Asia at the same time. So, this platform enriches the outcomes," said Elena Kravtsova, advisor to the vice-chairman of Russia's Primorsky Krai Government.

The expo has also attracted enthusiastic countries from other regions to actively integrate into the Northeast Asia industrial chain through this platform and share new opportunities for regional cooperation.

"Many countries need Chinese products, especially in the automotive industry. Currently, most of our cars are new energy vehicles. There are several reputable brands with high-quality products in Changchun. I think the Northeast Asia is a huge market," said Narongsak Putthapornmongkol, president of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Trade between China and the five Northeast Asian countries reached 901.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, up 1.6 percent year on year, accounting for nearly 15 percent of China's total foreign trade. China has maintained its position as the largest trading partner for all five countries, with the Republic of Korea and Japan ranking as its second and third-largest trading partners, respectively.

Two-way investment between China and the five countries exceeded seven billion U.S. dollars in 2024, and cooperation is expanding into emerging fields, including the digital economy, green development, advanced manufacturing, and modern services.

15th China-Northeast Asia Expo kicks off in Jilin

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media