Major China-ASEAN trade, investment event to open next week

The 22nd China-ASEAN Expo will take place from September 17 to 21 in Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chinese officials announced on Monday.

Themed "Digital Intelligence Empowers Development, Innovation Leads the Future -- Building a Community of Shared Future with New Opportunities from the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area," the expo will feature an exhibition area of nearly 160,000 square meters this year, with about 3,200 enterprises from 45 countries already confirming their participation, officials told a press conference in Beijing.

Negotiations on the upgraded Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area have been concluded, and a protocol is set to be signed by the end of the year to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in key areas such as the digital economy, AI, and green trade, according to Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong.

"China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, and ASEAN has been China's top trading partner for five consecutive years," Yan noted.

Trade between China and ASEAN countries reached 597 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of this year, up 8.2 percent year on year, accounting for 16.7 percent of China's total foreign trade for the same period, he said.

Officials at the press conference highlighted the key role the China-ASEAN Expo has played in the Free Trade Area's evolution from version 1.0 to 3.0 since its launch in 2004, saying it's now central to advancing regional integration and building a closer China-ASEAN community.

At this year's expo, pavilions showcasing artificial intelligence and new quality productive forces will be set up, along with new sections dedicated to the marine economy and premium foreign trade products.

The event will also feature 90 trade and investment promotion activities, 13 high-level forums, and for the first time, the release of a blue book outlining new opportunities in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

"For the first time, a 10,000-square-meter Artificial Intelligence Pavilion and a special hall on new quality productive forces will be set up. A blue book on China-ASEAN economic and trade prospects will be released," said Lu Xinning, Vice Governor of Guangxi.

"China's first expo intelligent agent will be launched on Sept 13, supporting eight Southeast Asian languages. For example, friends from Vietnam can scan the QR code with their mobile phones, and the platform will quickly present an interface in Vietnamese to provide convenient intelligent services. The expo is expected to witness the signing of more than 100 agreements on major digital economy and green economy investment projects, along with a large number of trade orders," Lu said.

Major China-ASEAN trade, investment event to open next week

Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and president of Laos, said Laos will continue to advance China-Laos cooperation in the technology field on Wednesday in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

Thongloun arrived in Hangzhou on Tuesday for a five-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

Zhejiang was chosen as the first stop of the Lao president's trip for its reputation as a high-tech and innovation hub and for having achieved high-quality growth across multiple sectors.

Upon arrival, Thongloun visited several local technology companies, where he explored advanced artificial intelligence-powered robotic systems designed for industrial, commercial and challenging environments.

In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG), Thongloun hailed China's progress in modern technology, AI and digital economy, pledging to strengthen cooperation with China in the technology field.

"I asked staff of the technology companies I visited many questions, and they provided a great deal of information that helped us better understand the development of modern technology in China. It's clear that China regards modern technology, artificial intelligence and digital economy as key areas of national development. This offers valuable experience for Laos. We will continue to advance cooperation between our two countries in the field of technology," said Thongloun.

The president also expressed hope that new technology cooperation initiatives will be launched in Laos.

"I believe our cooperation in these areas in the future is very promising. In the next few days, I will raise this matter with President Xi Jinping. I will also put forward more detailed proposals on cooperation between our two governments in the development of new technologies, so that these initiatives can take root in Laos," said Thongloun.

Lao president pledges further technology cooperation with China