The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo concluded in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Monday, drawing the curtain on a five-day showcase of innovation, trade and regional integration.
Wang Jicai, secretary-general of the China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, said this year's event marked a notable shift in both quality and focus.
"First, the quality of economic and trade activities has improved significantly. There has been a transition from simply displaying products and technologies to doing real business and talking about cooperation. The focus is now more enterprise-driven, moving from a supply-side mindset of 'showing what we have' to one that is demand-led. For the first time, the expo set up a dedicated session highlighting the needs of ASEAN countries and released a demand list from the region. The new model, described as 'ASEAN sets the questions, China provides the solutions' helped achieve more precise supply-and-demand matching," he said.
For exhibitors, the expo offered not only a platform to showcase products but also a window into the vast potential of the regional market.
Qian Yuxin, a Beijing-based exhibitor, said the Pinglu Canal, a new river-to-sea canal project in Guangxi, will help his company expand its business in ASEAN.
"We are a company from Beijing. The opening of the Pinglu Canal will significantly reduce transportation costs for our business. Participating in the China-ASEAN Expo has also given us a strong sense of the robust demand from overseas markets. We also hope to expand our production capacity in Guangxi in the future," he said.
Pan Jiaojiao, another exhibitor, said her company has taken part in the expo every year since it launched an artificial intelligence section in 2025.
"In 2025 alone, our sales in ASEAN reached 320 million yuan," she said.
As the expo wrapped up, organizers said they would build on this year's successes and further enhance the event's role as a vital platform for China-ASEAN trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.
China-ASEAN Expo 2026 closes in Nanning, spotlighting AI, innovation, closer regional cooperation
