The 15th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) wrapped up on Saturday in the southern Chinese city of Nanning. The four-day event attracted much attention this year because it coincided with the 15th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN strategic partnership.
CGTN Photo
The expo drew many international buyers from ASEAN countries, the Middle East, the US, Europe, South Asia, and Africa among 2,780 enterprises, a 2.6 percent rise from last year.
The expo also saw 112 investor and buyer groups, an increase of 15 percent.
Buyers and visitors from China, Southeast Asian and other countries flocked to the pavilion.
Go Global, Go ASEAN
Combining “investment inviting” and “go global” while focusing on the latter, the CAEXPO serves as a platform for Chinese enterprises to invest in ASEAN.
At a ceremony on Sept.12 in Nanning, Chinese enterprises signed 16 economic cooperation projects with ASEAN countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
Total investment was 2.7 times that of the last expo.
Cambodia served as the country of honor for the second time at the expo. /CGTN Photo
Country of honor
This year, Cambodia served as the country of honor for the second time at the China-ASEAN Expo and made use of the D10 Hall with about 145 booths, displaying commercial opportunities in fields like agriculture, infrastructure, SMEs, education and culture, and tourism.
Meanwhile, by virtue of its advantages of adjacency to ASEAN countries, Guangxi has positively participated in the construction of the Belt and Road and international production capacity cooperation. During the China-ASEAN Expo, it assisted in the conclusion of 12 economic cooperation projects with Cambodia, with the total amount of 1.23 billion US dollars, accounting for 86.1 percent of the projects signed in a centralized manner.
First 'New Friend' from Africa
Tanzania joined as a special partner for the first time at the expo. /CGTN Photo
The China-ASEAN Expo provided Tanzania with a dedicated zone in the “Belt and Road” international exhibition area in Hall B1. Tanzania used 20 merchandise booths to highlight Zanzibar's coffee, tea, honey, spices and other products, as well as to showcase African exotic tour scenery and folk culture in Tanzania.
In addition, the Tanzanian authority acted as a go-between in the professional trade negotiation and investment services for Tanzania exhibitors, and organized national promotion conferences and merchandise display activities.
In 2017, the bilateral trade volume between China and Tanzania reached 3.452 billion US dollars. China has become Tanzania's largest trading partner, largest engineering contractor and the major source of investment.