The 15th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) will be held September 12-15 at the International Convention & Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The theme of the 15th CAEXPO is "jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the China-ASEAN community of innovation."

“The CAEXPO is further upgrading to bring cooperation to a whole new level,” said Gao Feng, spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). MOFCOM is hosting the week-long event with other departments across the area.

"This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. It's the year where China and ASEAN countries are set to embark on a new stage of growth," Gao said.

"Together, participants will work on building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and pool on one another's strength on innovative growth. Regional cooperation will reach a new high," Gao told CGTN after a press briefing on Tuesday.

The organizing committee also says it envisions high enthusiasm for this year. It is expecting a high percentage of returning visitors, at 80 percent in certain sectors, and a large number of newcomers. According to Gao, this shows the "strong market appeal" for the region with a population of some two billion people.

More than 2,700 exhibitors have enrolled, including those coming from along the maritime Silk Road.  Tanzania, which sits on an important juncture on that route, is the special partner at the CAEXPO this year.

The partnership goes beyond trade and economy.

Romeo Jr. Abad Arca, with the ASEAN community relations division, says it's not just trade and economy that bond regional parties together to the event, adding that "We will focus on work in education and youth development."

Cambodia is the guest of honor for the second time at the CAEXPO. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will lead a high-level delegation to attend the 15th China-ASEAN Expo according to a Foreign Ministry's statement last Friday.