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

A total of 4,923 food and beverage items in Japan are expected to see price hikes in September, more than triple the tally a year earlier and the largest monthly total in over three years, a survey by a research company showed Monday.

The spike stems partly from surging crude oil and naphtha prices tied to the Middle East conflict, which in turn pushed up the cost of packaging materials, according to Teikoku Databank.

Rising personnel and logistics expenses, along with costlier imports due to the yen's depreciation, also prompted companies to raise prices, the survey covering 195 major food manufacturers found.

The figure compares with 1,467 items a year earlier and marks the highest monthly total since April 2023, when food prices in Japan began climbing amid rising inflation.

By category, seasoning products accounted for the largest share, with 1,959 items set for price hikes in September, followed by processed food at 1,848 items.

For the whole of 2026, the number of food and beverage items with price increases is projected to exceed last year's total of 20,609, with more than 3,000 additional items expected to become more expensive in October, the company said.

In the face of soaring living costs, the Japanese government has been slow to act. It was not until early August that it decided to reduce the food consumption tax rate from eight percent to 1 percent, effective April 2027, for a two‑year period.

Nearly 5,000 food, beverage items in Japan to see price hikes in September