23rd China-ASEAN Expo to take place in September in Nanning with innovative features

The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will be held in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from September 17 to 21, featuring multiple innovative measures with a focus on trade, enterprises and applications, a Chinese official said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Lu Xinning, vice governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, briefed the media on the key highlights and innovative arrangements of this year's expo.

This year, Timor-Leste will make its debut as a co-organizer, marking the first time all 11 ASEAN countries have gathered together in Nanning following the group's expansion.

A future space pavilion and a sci-tech innovation and entrepreneurship pavilion will be set up for the first time at the expo, with an upgraded AI section showcasing cutting-edge AI technologies and applications from consumer, enterprise, government and international perspectives.

"AI glasses, smart watches, AI home robots, rehabilitation care robots and photovoltaic cleaning robots can all be seen and tried on site. We have set up an 'AI marketplace' for the first time, selecting 60 companies with products suitable for ASEAN enterprises, offering more than 400 products that can all be experienced on site and ordered directly. This year's expo is not only a major platform for economic and trade exchanges, but also an experience venue for cutting-edge technologies," said Lu.

This year's expo will feature an upgraded ASEAN exhibition zone covering around 20,000 square meters, with comprehensive improvements in exhibition product structure, scale of participating countries and industrial cooperation levels, showcasing new achievements of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, according to the expo secretariat.

To address exhibitors' biggest concerns about markets and orders, the expo has set up pavilions for ASEAN demands for the first time, showcasing the technological and application needs of ASEAN countries to help Chinese enterprises achieve precise connections.

The expo will also debut a model in which leading companies bring small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the event. Industry leaders will exhibit together with their upstream and downstream partners, helping SMEs expand their markets.

For ordinary visitors, this year's expo offers a richer product lineup and opportunities to experience high-tech products up close.

23rd China-ASEAN Expo to take place in September in Nanning with innovative features

The ongoing ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) provides an excellent opportunity for Norwegian companies to showcase their products to Chinese consumers, said Norwegian Minister of Industry and Commerce Cecilie Myrseth.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Myrseth attributed the strong bilateral trade relationship between Norway and China to mutual familiarity and sustained diplomatic dialogue.

"I think what makes this relationship a steady and long-lasting one is because we know each other, and we have dialogue also on political levels, but also the Chinese and the regional industries—they know each other. They have been doing this for a long time, and they have been sharing knowledge and confidence, and we are in the Chinese market with a lot of our products, as the Chinese know, and I hope they know our products as good, healthy, and that you can trust in the regional industries, and that is the ingredients you need for building a healthy and long-term relationship, as we have been doing," said Norwegian Minister of Industry and Commerce Cecilie Myrseth.

Turning to the role of the expo itself, Myrseth said entering a new market requires understanding its consumers and industries, and that the CIIE gives Norwegian companies a valuable platform to promote their products and build that understanding.

"If you want to get into a new market, as for some, the Chinese market is new, then you have to know the market. You have to know the people, you have to know the industry, you have to spend time to also understand what the Chinese want. So this is a great opportunity for Norwegian companies, and there are more and more companies coming to actually be able to promote their products. So I think it's been a wonderful experience for me as well to come here as the minister responsible for this in Norway and see how the companies are doing. I think this is an excellent opportunity for Norwegian companies to come here and make sure that their products are being known," said Myrseth.

This year's CIIE runs from Nov. 5 to 10. Launched in 2018 as the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE has become an important gateway for foreign businesses seeking access to China's vast consumer and industrial markets.

CIIE key platform for Norwegian products in China, says minister