China aims to deepen cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in multiple sectors to create a brighter future at the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and the 20th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, which kicked off this weekend in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang made remarks at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and the 20th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on Sunday, vowing the country is willing to further strengthen the collaborations with the ASEAN for greater development.

Foreign leaders and senior officials attended the opening ceremony of the expo.

Li said China will work with ASEAN countries to expand exchanges in fields including culture, tourism, training and youth to enhance the understanding among people in different countries.

China will also leverage the role of the China-ASEAN Expo, as well as other international expos as platforms for global companies to build up smooth cooperation and exchanges, according to Li.

He stressed China will make its best effort to protect IP rights and safeguard fair competition, creating a safe business environment for global investors.

China is willing to continue to expand the import of unique and high-quality products from ASEAN countries, he mentioned. China is also inclined to expand the cooperation in emerging sectors such as green industry and digital economy with ASEAN countries to enhance the overall competitiveness of the region.

In 2003, leaders of China and ASEAN countries jointly witnessed China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia – the first country to do so, which marked a new phase of relations between China and ASEAN.

Over the past 20 years, China and ASEAN have expanded mutually beneficial cooperation on all fronts.

"The living standards of the more than two billion people in our region have improved significantly," Li said. China and ASEAN have stick to win-win cooperation with great progress and continue to promote regional economic integration and economic and trade cooperation.

"We have achieved a rise in trade and investment amid a sluggish global economy," said Li. "The trade value between China and ASEAN has increased by 16.8 times in 20 years. The two sides have been each other's largest trading partners for three consecutive years, with the total investment from both sides exceeding $350 billion."

"China and ASEAN also cooperated to tackle global challenges such as poverty alleviation, climate change, environment protection and energy transformation, setting a dynamic model in Asia-Pacific region," Li said. 

This year's event sees the participation of a larger number of brands from the 10 members of the ASEAN, as well as many Chinese companies specializing in digital, smart and low-carbon technologies, including drones and equipment for environmental protection.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 20th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Expo.

Since the first China-ASEAN Expo was held in 2004, the event has actively built a platform for ASEAN enterprises to enter the Chinese market.