Beijing (VNA) – The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) isscheduled to return to Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regionin southwestern China, on its 15th edition from September 12-15.

The theme of this year’s event is “Jointly building the21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the China-ASEAN community of innovation.”

More countries, especially those along the Silk RoadEconomic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, will be invited toattend the expo to create more business opportunities, said Wang Lei, theexpo’s secretary-general.

Guo Chuanwei, an official from the Chinese Ministry ofCommerce, said he hopes that China and ASEAN nations can bring more top-levelfirms to the trade event to deepen cooperation between the two sides.

Launched in 2004, the CAEXPO provides an importantplatform to promote trade and relations between China and ASEAN.

Last year, the trade fair took place from September 11-13in Nanning. Vietnam was represented by 250 booths, the most among ASEANcountries, introducing various products, including farm produce, processedfood, footwear, consumer goods, wooden products and handicrafts.

China is currently ASEAN’s largest trade partner andASEAN is China’s third largest trade partner. Trade between the two sides roseby 13.8 percent to 514.8 billion USD in 2017.


ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. -VNA