The upcoming 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will build a precise, mutually beneficial cooperation platform for China and economies from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, help participating enterprises seize new opportunities and provide visitors with chances to experience cutting-edge technologies applied in everyday life, organizers said.
The expo, involving more than 50 economic and trade activities, will take place Sept 17-21 in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Wang Jicai, secretary general of the China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, said the event will continue its steady expansion this year.
Total exhibition area stretches to 170,000 square meters, up about 6 percent year-on-year, involving around 3,300 enterprises, a 4 percent rise.
“ASEAN co-organization is the most distinctive feature of the expo. With more than two decades of development, ASEAN’s participation model has been continuously upgraded, and the joint organizing effort has reached a new level this year,” Wang said.
Several ASEAN countries — including Vietnam and Indonesia — have proactively expanded their demonstration areas.
The exhibition zones will continue to feature popular regional specialties favored by Chinese consumers, such as durian, coffee and fragrant rice.
Meanwhile, exhibition products are accelerating upgrades toward high-value and high-tech fields.
Some high-tech enterprises from ASEAN markets — including Brunei, Cambodia and Malaysia — will participate in the event.
“The integration of traditional specialties and cutting-edge technology enriches exhibition content, diversifies industrial formats and improves the overall technological and economic value of ASEAN booths,” Wang added.
Fueled by the accelerated implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, digital trade, green trade and trade in industrial chain intermediate goods have become mainstream directions for regional cooperation.
The expo will adopt artificial intelligence to power matchmaking activities this year. So far, more than 8,000 pre-matches have been completed.
The expo will also host the first high-level dialogue on the coordinated development of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, broadening new channels for two-way bilateral cooperation.
An AI supermarket will make up part of the expo, transforming AI exhibitions from a technological showcase to a practical application platform that delivers real contributions to people’s livelihoods.
The supermarket will involve about 70 enterprises and 500 tech products covering eight major consumer categories, including AI health detection, intelligent cultural and creative products, parent-child entertainment and digital commerce.
Overseas exhibitors and visitors can complete payments conveniently by scanning codes via local Alipay+ digital wallets without downloading independent mobile apps.
“The optimized cross-border shopping experience will enable AI technologies to truly enter ordinary households and expand into ASEAN markets,” said Wang.
Customs figures show that China’s import and export volume with ASEAN economies surged more than 20 percent in the first eight months.
