The 19th China-ASEAN Expo attracted a large number of people in Nanning, September 19, 2022. /CFP
Editor's note: Hannan Hussain is a foreign affairs commentator and author. He is a Fulbright recipient at the University of Maryland and a former assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
The 19th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), which closed on September 19 in the southern Chinese city of Nanning, attracted over 1,600 enterprises, complete with mutually beneficial diplomacy that strengthens the spirit of China-ASEAN trade ties.
Held under the theme, "Sharing RCEP New Opportunities, Building a Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area," nearly two dozen high-level forums lend valuable momentum to the future of China-ASEAN economic cooperation, better aligning business connectivity goals with the world's largest free trade deal in history.
The signed deals involved over 260 projects – valued at nearly $60 billion – serve as a powerful reminder that the Chinese market remains wide open to innovative ASEAN enterprises and win-win investments. This year's CAEXPO deals have spanned across areas including modern agriculture, high end metal, and equipment manufacturing – all of which demonstrate continued diversification of the annual expo.
Moreover, the trade show underlines a strong determination among key RCEP member states that their diplomacy and enterprises will support the best foot forward on trade. Participation from over 2,000 companies in the online edition of the expo alone makes that point clear, making this annual trade platform a melting pot for healthy business competition, cross-border trade promotions, and stronger market access as the RCEP gathers steam.
The mega-trade pact's role as a driver of economic integration makes it a fitting backdrop for major exhibitors and their showcased products in Nanning. After all, part of the RCEP's utility for Southeast Asia lies in its potential to directly connect a third of the world's people and output.
That identifies closely with CAEXPO's own image as a bridge between China and regionwide business networks, described by Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat as an "important platform for ASEAN and China to not only explore new opportunities, but also deliberate on important economic developments in the years ahead."
The 19th China-ASEAN Expo enters its final day in Nanning, September 19, 2022. /CFP
A vibrant display of business friendly exchanges and RCEP-aligned market opportunities in Nanning signify the economic value of China-ASEAN ties as a whole. Their time-tested relationship carries vast potential for a new and upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area as well.
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng presented a compelling case for upgrading the China-ASEAN free trade pact to the new 3.0 version, a major leap for two top trading partners and the objective of kickstarting formal negotiations. Han's added emphasis to the deepening green development cooperation, and increasing imports of "high-quality products" from ASEAN to China. This provides more openings to deliver on the RCEP's promise for stronger trade integration between both partners and the region at large.
Similarly, sustained support for the joint construction of a new international land-sea trade corridor is a welcome step towards strengthening supply chains in critical trade corridors. That means effectively scaling market access and trade linkages between Western China and Southeast Asia for greater regional benefits.
For years, promoting cross-border cooperation at the expo has illuminated entry points for high-quality products and international merchants vis-a-vis the Chinese market. This year's CAEXPO was no different.
The recent approval of the China-ASEAN Partnership on Digital Economy offers ample flexibility to aspiring companies as they can leverage investment opportunities under RCEP, while deriving benefits from ASEAN and China's digital economy transition. The platform's 18-year track record of bringing China-ASEAN business networks closer has been reinforced by the RCEP's focus on a transparent, rules-based, and supply chain friendly trade arrangement.
"China is ready to work with all participants to advance high-quality implementation of the RCEP, and unleash the enormous potential of an integrated market," said China's Vice Premier Han Zheng at the expo.
When the two leading trade partners come together to create conducive conditions for high-potential companies, investor sentiments, and more people-to-people exchanges, CAEXPO serves as a grand culmination of all three.
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