The 15th China-ASEAN Expo has wrapped up on September 15 in the Chinese city of Nanning. The three-day event attracted more than a thousand people from 43 countries. Around 35 high-level forums were held during the expo.

The expo this year also attracted 114 companies from 19 countries along the "Belt and Road" countries. The organizer has set up the "Belt and Road" international exhibition area especially. The China-ASEAN Expo is becoming an important chance of deepening cooperation among the "Belt and Road" countries.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership. Over the past 15 years, China-ASEAN cooperation has become one of the most successful and dynamic models in Asia-Pacific regional cooperation.

ASEAN is currently China's third largest trade partner, while China has been the bloc's largest trade partner for nine consecutive years.

Syed Saud Ahmed is a representative from Atiya Enterprises. Five years ago, he came to the China-ASEAN Expo and stated: "We have a good business this time. Our sales in China grew up three times in the last three times. That's why I came here again and again."

Expectations are high for more success. From commodity exchange to tech, to agriculture, and more. And multiple joint development plans are in the making. A high-tech industrial park proposed by Chinese and Indonesian companies with an investment projected at five billion US dollars. More than 500 national and international economic deals were reached over the CAEXPO.

Ms. Xu Qinhua, who is a professor of the School of International Studies of China's Renmin University, said the reason of the rapid growth of the trade volume between China and ASEAN is that China's "Belt and Road Initiative" docks with ASEAN countries' national development plan, such as ASEAN Interconnection Master Plan 2025, China-Vietnam "two corridors one circle," and Thailand 4.0.

She said China's "Belt and Road Initiative" and the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area can form a deep complementary. The BRI will find new ways to deepen economic cooperation and promote economic development, bringing new opportunities to the region.

The China-ASEAN free trade area was launched eight years ago. Last year, trade volume surpassed 500 billion US dollars, bilateral direct investment had reached more than 15 billion US dollars.

When talking about infrastructure, Ms. Xu gave an example: China Southern Power Grid connects neighboring countries through electricity, such as Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos. As of the end of 2017, electricity trade totaled 51.65 billion kWh.

Besides infrastructure, China and ASEAN are also looking for digital cooperation. Ms. Xu thinks digital collaboration is very important for those ASEAN countries. She said China is a leading country in e-commerce in the world, and China can help ASEAN countries to build a network, such as the "Online Silk road." Xu also shares her personal experience. She said the Ali pay is very popular in ASEAN countries, such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia.

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