At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on September 1, updates were provided on China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, alongside details about the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. The recurring emphasis of previous expos and summits has been on "focusing on economy and trade, with enterprises as the main participants."
Addressing a question from a National Business Daily reporter regarding this year's methods to showcase the "enterprises as the main participants" principle and deliver distinctive benefits to businesses, Lu Xinning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Committee and Vice Chairman of Guangxi, responded. He highlighted that in the first half of this year, China's import and export of intermediate goods with ASEAN reached 2.86 trillion yuan, marking a 24.5% increase and constituting two-thirds of the total bilateral trade value. This signifies a transition from simple goods trade to deep integration of upstream and downstream production and supply chains.
Lu Xinning further explained to the National Business Daily reporter that prioritizing enterprises is a consistent requirement from the Ministry of Commerce and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade for organizing the expo. To better understand market demand and serve enterprises effectively this year, Guangxi conducted its first special survey involving 45 key ASEAN business organizations and several major commercial enterprises. The findings revealed three primary expectations from the business community: firstly, a desire to understand policies; secondly, a need to connect with industries; and thirdly, an interest in expanding AI applications.
Firstly, Guangxi aims to act as a policy "translator," turning policy benefits into business opportunities. The survey indicated that 73% of respondents hope to receive the most authoritative policy interpretations and forward-looking guidance during the summit, with particular attention on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) 3.0. This year's expo will invite experts to provide in-depth analysis of the opportunities presented by FTA 3.0. Additionally, various formats such as on-site displays, corporate sharing sessions, supply-demand matchmaking, and technical exchanges will be used to promote the new content of version 3.0. Practical guides, including those on resolving cross-border commercial disputes, will also be released to help enterprises "understand policies, utilize rules, and enjoy benefits."
Secondly, serving as a "connector" for supply chains, Guangxi will facilitate precise alignment between upstream and downstream partners. In the first half of this year, China's intermediate goods trade with ASEAN totaled 2.86 trillion yuan, a 24.5% increase, accounting for two-thirds of bilateral trade, indicating a shift towards deep integration of upstream and downstream supply chains. This year's expo will feature over 2,200 Chinese enterprises and nearly 1,000 ASEAN enterprises. For the first time, a matchmaking conference will be held specifically for ASEAN entrepreneurs, with sessions tailored to key industries, combining online and offline interactions, supplemented by multiple high-level business dialogues to create more collaboration opportunities.
Thirdly, Guangxi will act as a "booster" for AI application cooperation, ensuring technology is visible and practical. The expo will fully upgrade its AI exhibition area and host multiple AI-themed side events covering areas like industrial application, youth exchange, and innovation and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, a China-ASEAN AI Ministerial Roundtable will be convened, bringing together 11 countries from China and ASEAN to discuss collaborative governance for AI security, helping enterprises navigate new tracks more steadily and further.
In October 2025, the upgrade protocol for the China-ASEAN FTA 3.0 was signed. Regarding the next steps for implementing the protocol and advancing the FTA 3.0 building, Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong stated that the signing fully reflects the joint commitment of China and ASEAN to support multilateralism and free trade, injecting more confidence and momentum into regional and global economic growth. China will implement the protocol from three aspects to share the dividends of version 3.0 with ASEAN.
The first aspect involves promoting the completion of domestic approval procedures by all parties. Currently, China and ASEAN countries are accelerating the domestic ratification of the protocol. Joint efforts will be made to facilitate its early entry into force and implementation, aiming to create an inclusive, modern, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial free trade agreement.
The second aspect focuses on helping enterprises capture business opportunities, actively supporting regions to tailor "service lists" based on their specific situations and enterprises' "demand lists." This includes organizing targeted policy briefings and training sessions to help enterprises fully understand and precisely seize the policy benefits of FTA 3.0, transforming consensus on cooperation into tangible market opportunities. For instance, institutional guarantees for standard alignment are established through the protocol, alongside efforts to upgrade customs procedures and trade facilitation so that enterprises, including SMEs, can benefit from more trade facilitation measures for mutual win-win outcomes.
The third aspect is to promote the coordinated development of FTA 3.0 with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). China will work with ASEAN to jointly implement both agreements, advancing economic and trade cooperation to deeper and higher levels. The 23rd CAEXPO will host high-level dialogue activities on the coordinated development of the two agreements, exploring their synergistic potential and practical cooperation paths.