Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Ping, Zhu Lili, Huang Yaoteng

The 22nd China ASEAN Expo and China ASEAN Business and Investment Summit recently opened in Nanning, Guangxi. Since its official launch in 2002, the China ASEAN Free Trade Area has grown from scratch and upgraded from 1.0 to 3.0, promoting China ASEAN economic and trade cooperation from "trade addition" to "deep integration". China and ASEAN continue to expand the economic and trade cooperation "cake", injecting momentum into regional economic stability and growth, and bringing tangible benefits to the people in the region.

Economic and trade investment cooperation continues to expand

China and ASEAN countries are connected by mountains and rivers, with close cultural ties and increasingly close economic and trade exchanges and cooperation. With the help of platforms such as the East Expo and the China International Import Expo, characteristic products from ASEAN countries such as Cambodian rice, Thai latex pillows, and Laotian beer continue to enter the Chinese market. Chinese products such as new energy vehicles, mechanical equipment, and electronic appliances have also entered ASEAN countries.

Myanmar is the theme country of this year's East Asian Expo. Myanmar Prime Minister Nyusuo stated that the successful hosting of the East Expo has further deepened the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and China, provided an important platform for cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and other fields, and made significant contributions to the further development of the China ASEAN Free Trade Area.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of leaders from both sides, China and ASEAN countries have deepened practical cooperation in various fields, maintained good momentum in economic and trade exchanges, increased trade scale, and enhanced investment cooperation.

China has remained the largest trading partner of ASEAN for 16 consecutive years, and ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for 5 consecutive years. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume between China and five ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, will all exceed 100 billion US dollars. Among them, the bilateral trade volume with Vietnam and Malaysia has exceeded 200 billion US dollars. From January to July this year, the trade volume between China and ASEAN reached 597 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 8.2%, accounting for 16.7% of China's total foreign trade during the same period.

As of July this year, the cumulative two-way investment between China and ASEAN has exceeded 450 billion US dollars, and Chinese enterprises have completed a total of 480 billion US dollars in engineering contracts in ASEAN. Both sides actively expand cooperation in areas such as digital economy, e-commerce, and green development, and the cooperation in emerging fields has achieved significant results.

Cambodia's Golden Port Expressway, Malaysia's East Coast Railway, and other multinational enterprises actively integrate into the comprehensive and pragmatic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, deeply participate in infrastructure construction, layout in emerging fields such as green energy and digital economy, and promote regional connectivity and industrial chain integration.

Zhang Bingnan, General Manager of China Communications Construction Group Co., Ltd., stated that in the future, it will deepen cooperation with ASEAN countries, focus on smart transportation and green infrastructure, concentrate on digital transformation, accurately connect with the development needs of the China ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 version, and promote integrated development.

The integration of production and supply chains continues to deepen

At this year's East Expo, Guoxuan High Tech Co., Ltd. from China brought products such as battery packs for Vietnam's new energy vehicles. The relevant person in charge of the company, Li Yuanqiong, said that in recent years, Vietnamese car companies have vigorously developed new energy vehicles, bringing opportunities to Chinese battery companies.

In recent years, economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN has continued to expand, shifting from traditional trade exchanges to deeper integration of industrial and supply chains. From cross-border factory construction to cross-border chain building, SAIC GM Wuling has led 17 Chinese industrial chain enterprises to "go global" and established cooperation with over 100 local Indonesian suppliers.

Wei Zhenyu, Director of the Indonesia China Partnership Research Center, believes that economic and trade cooperation between China and Indonesia is not only reflected in numbers, but also in the transfer of knowledge and technology, which greatly helps to improve Indonesia's industrial level and manufacturing capabilities.

From exporting complete vehicles to investing and building factories locally, Chinese automobile companies actively assist in the transformation and upgrading of the local automobile industry. Automobile brands such as Changan, SAIC, BYD, and Great Wall actively layout overseas production bases and sales networks through overseas mergers and acquisitions, investment in factory construction, and technological cooperation.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Water Transition, Fadhila, stated that in the face of increasing global uncertainty, ASEAN and China must continue to diversify their trade and investment strategies, while steadfastly promoting peace, stability, and common prosperity in the region. We believe that this year's East Asian Expo will further deepen the lasting friendship, trust, and economic partnership between ASEAN and China, and look forward to bringing new development prospects to Malaysia, ASEAN, and China.

Artificial intelligence empowers new quality productivity

AI (Artificial Intelligence) intelligent translation glasses, AI intelligent translation cards, dual screen translation machines... In the artificial intelligence exhibition hall of the East Expo, multiple AI translation products are full of technological sense.

The theme of this year's East Expo is "Empowering Development with Digital Intelligence, Leading the Future with Innovation - Building a Community of Shared Future through the New Opportunities of China ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0". The main venue has set up a 10000 square meter artificial intelligence pavilion for the first time, and nearly 200 high-tech enterprises are competing with their respective products.

Lao Vice President Bentong stated that currently, artificial intelligence and innovation are increasingly becoming indispensable driving forces in production and daily life. The level of technological development in ASEAN countries varies greatly. On the basis of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, ASEAN and China should further strengthen cooperation in the research and application of artificial intelligence innovation technology, as well as economic and trade cooperation.

In recent years, relying on the advantages of geographical proximity and economic complementarity, China and ASEAN are deepening cooperation in new quality productivity fields such as artificial intelligence, digital technology, green energy, smart agriculture, and supply chain digitization, jointly moving towards a more innovative, green, and efficient development path.

In the center of Vientiane, Laos, the construction site of the China Laos Artificial Intelligence Innovation Cooperation Center is bustling with activity. After its completion, the center will gather artificial intelligence application cases from China and ASEAN countries, integrate advanced technology with local needs in Laos, and lay the foundation for empowering Laos' economic and social development with artificial intelligence.

The China ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations have been fully completed and a protocol will be signed within the year. ASEAN Secretary General Gao Jinhong stated that the 3.0 version of the China ASEAN Free Trade Area will take bilateral economic and trade cooperation to new heights, especially in emerging fields such as e-commerce, digital trade, and payments. In today's complex global economic situation, this is very important for both China and ASEAN.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Cabinet Office, Weng Saiviso, said that in the face of rapid innovation in digital technology, as well as increasing economic and geopolitical uncertainty and global fragmentation risks, the theme of this year's East Expo is of great practical significance and timely.