About 30 pct exhibitors, products to debut at upcoming China-ASEAN Expo

China

About 30 pct exhibitors, products to debut at upcoming China-ASEAN Expo

2025-09-16 16:05 Last Updated At：19:57

Approximately 30 percent of the exhibitors or products from ASEAN countries are making their debut at the upcoming 22nd China-ASEAN Expo, according to the Nanning Customs.

The expo, which is set to open on Wednesday and will run through Sunday in Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, aims to upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) and further strengthen cooperation between the two sides, a Chinese official from the organizer said.

"The China-ASEAN Expos have not only facilitated the upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area from Version 1.0 to Version 2.0, but now we are ushering in Version 3.0, which will provide stronger support for cooperation between China and ASEAN countries on a broader scale, across more sectors and at deeper levels," said Cheng Gong, deputy director of Guangxi International Expo Affairs Bureau.

This year's expo features nearly 160,000 square meters of exhibition space.

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

The 10,000-square-meter AI pavilion will bring together nearly 200 high-tech companies and showcase around 1,200 innovative products, making it the largest single-theme pavilion in the history of the expo.

Launched in 2010, the CAFTA is the world's largest free trade zone among developing countries. It has undergone continuous upgrades, with its Version 2.0 agreement signed in 2015 and coming into effect in 2019.

Negotiations on Version 3.0 CAFTA were fully completed by May 2025.

8 European countries issue joint statement of "full solidarity" with Denmark over Greenland

In a rebuke to the latest tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, the eight European countries targeted by the tariffs issued a joint statement on Sunday, affirming their "full solidarity" with Denmark and Greenland and warning that the U.S. actions risk triggering a "dangerous downward spiral" in transatlantic relations.

The statement was issued by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Britain.

The eight countries, all targeted by Trump's tariff threats on Saturday, stated that they are "committed to upholding our sovereignty" and stand ready for dialogue based on the principles of "sovereignty and territorial integrity." They condemned the U.S. tariffs, saying that they "undermine transatlantic relations," and vowed a "united and coordinated" response.

Trump said on Saturday that the United States will impose 10-percent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland starting on Feb. 1.

The tariffs would increase to 25 percent on June 1, and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he said on social media.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland and has recently ramped up his threat.