Nanning (VNA) – The 23rd China–ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China–ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) have promoted economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a key area.
At a press conference over the closure of the CAEXPO and CABIS on September 21, organisers said the expo had helped build a platform linking China and ASEAN’s AI industry. The event announced 42 cooperation needs related to AI applications in ASEAN and generated nearly 100 preliminary cooperation agreements, with the expected value of projects with ASEAN countries exceeding 1 billion CNY (about 150 million USD).
Wang Jicai, Secretary General of the CAEXPO Secretariat, said exhibition space for AI increased 60% from the previous edition, while the number of participating companies rose 48% year on year to 296.
A new AI “supermarket” model attracted strong interest, with more than 70 companies displaying and selling over 500 products in eight categories. Total transactions exceeded 28 million CNY (about 4.2 million USD), reflecting strong consumer interest in AI-related products.
Yang Yanyan, Secretary General of the CABIS Secretariat, said this year’s summit focused on economic and trade cooperation, with AI as a highlight, businesses as key participants and applicability as a distinctive feature.
The summit brought together stakeholders from four areas – consumers, businesses, governments and international cooperation. For the first time, it also organised four AI-related sideline activities, alongside a dedicated AI exhibition programme covering the periods before, during and after the event.
AI digital hosts and real-time multilingual translation were used throughout the event, showcasing new applications and achievements in China–ASEAN AI cooperation and supporting ASEAN countries in narrowing the digital divide and sharing the benefits of smart technologies, Yang noted.
This year’s CAEXPO was held mainly at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Centre, with two additional venues being the CAAIC Community and the Guilin International Conference & Exhibition Centre. Total exhibition space reached 170,000 sq.m, up 10,000 sq.m from the previous edition.
The expo brought together 3,432 businesses from 73 countries and territories, with international exhibitors accounting for 30.5% of participants.
Vietnam had one of the largest national exhibition areas at this year’s event, with nearly 200 booths representing more than 120 businesses across about 4,000 sq.m. Companies showcased strong export products, including farm produce, processed food, footwear, consumer goods, furniture and handicrafts.
Held annually in Nanning, Guangxi, since 2004, CAEXPO is one of China’s leading trade and investment exhibitions. Over 23 editions, CAEXPO and CABIS have helped connect businesses, promote economic cooperation and strengthen the China–ASEAN strategic partnership. Vietnamese Government leaders have attended every edition./.
VNA
