Companies from around the world and across China are demonstrating robust enthusiasm for participating in the upcoming China-ASEAN Expo, according to the event's secretariat. Preparations for the 23rd edition of the expo are well underway, with ASEAN nations actively organizing delegations of high-tech enterprises to attend.
This year marks a significant milestone as Timor-Leste makes its debut appearance at the expo as a full ASEAN member state. Vietnam will once again occupy an entire exhibition hall, while Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have each secured substantial exhibition spaces, each nearing 2,000 square meters.
The appeal of the expo extends far beyond the region, attracting keen interest from countries outside the ASEAN bloc. Enterprises from Shanghai Cooperation Organization members such as Pakistan and Uzbekistan have expressed their intent to exhibit. The China-Europe Association for Technical and Economic Cooperation is set to organize a contingent of European companies. Furthermore, businesses from Sri Lanka, Brazil, and South Africa will showcase their distinctive national products.
On the domestic front, more than 30 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities will form delegations to comprehensively present the nation's industrial prowess and innovative achievements. The Shanghai delegation will focus on sectors including artificial intelligence, new energy, and smart cities, with a particular emphasis on smart energy and high-tech equipment. The Zhejiang delegation will exhibit products in digital technology, packaging machinery, and smart home solutions. The Shenzhen delegation is assembling a group of leading enterprises from cutting-edge fields such as AI, biomedicine, and the low-altitude economy.
Several exhibition zones are poised to unveil a range of high-tech products and new items making their global debut. The expo is projected to attract approximately 30,000 domestic and international buyers, representing a 15% increase from the previous edition. An "AI Expo" intelligent system is being utilized to facilitate precise buyer invitations, with over 2,000 companies already receiving solicitations.
In addition, 36 organizations, including the China Electricity Council, the Greater Bay Area Entrepreneurs Alliance, the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, have indicated plans to organize group visits to the event.
Scheduled for September 17-21 in Nanning, Guangxi, the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will center on key themes such as "Buy in China, Export to China, Invest in China" and the development of "Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area." A series of investment promotion activities are planned, including a "Export to China" Thailand-focused event and a China-ASEAN AI supply-demand matchmaking conference, both organized by China's Ministry of Commerce, alongside multiple industry-specific procurement matchmaking sessions for sectors like food, building materials, and packaging equipment.