Original title: Sharing new opportunities for development and building a community with a shared future. Source: People’s Daily
It’s another year of golden autumn. The 18th China-ASEAN Expo with the theme of “sharing new land and sea channels and new opportunities to build a China-ASEAN community with a shared future” will open in Nanning, Guangxi on September 10. Enhance economic and trade cooperation, enhance technological innovation, and enhance anti-epidemic cooperation” requirements, and promote China-ASEAN cooperation to a new level.
Concentrate efforts to enhance strategic mutual trust
How to further develop China-ASEAN relations and enhance mutual strategic trust between the two parties? The eyes of the world fell on the CAEXPO.
The 17th China-ASEAN Expo was successfully held. The China-ASEAN Expo is undoubtedly a platform for high-level dialogues. Through keynote speeches, leaders’ meetings, ministerial-level consultations, etc., the strongest voices of China-ASEAN cooperation are brought together to effectively promote the in-depth development of China-ASEAN strategic partnership.
Eighteen years of spring and autumn. The 18th CAEXPO will continue to transmit the signal of China-ASEAN friendly cooperation. Leaders of Chinese and foreign countries will attend the opening ceremony, hold the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations, the economic and trade cooperation achievements exhibition and the economic and trade cooperation forum, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos and the China-Laos economic and trade cooperation forum, the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Brunei diplomatic relations, High-end events such as the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan and the China-Pakistan Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum have promoted the in-depth development of bilateral relations while improving the effectiveness of economic and trade cooperation.
Focus on practical results and enhance economic and trade cooperation
With the assistance of the China-ASEAN Expo, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is developing vigorously, the business opportunities of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are continuously expanding, and the cooperation is fruitful, bringing tangible livelihoods to the people of both sides. Won widespread praise from the international community. In 2020, China and ASEAN will historically be each other’s largest trading partners. In the first half of 2021, the import and export volume between China and ASEAN reached US$41.76 billion, a year-on-year increase of 38.2%.
Since the 17th China-ASEAN Expo, a total of 926,000 Chinese and foreign businessmen have participated in the exhibition. They have achieved a series of important results in goods trade, investment cooperation, and international production capacity cooperation, which have strongly promoted the upgrading and development of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, and promoted the development of land and sea in the west. Channels, the construction of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the implementation of a number of major projects.
This year, the eighteenth China-ASEAN Expo has continued to promote cooperation. The content of the exhibition will be optimized, and economic and trade activities covering production capacity, digital economy, technology, environmental protection and other fields will be arranged. ASEAN countries will use 12,000 square meters of exhibition area. Countries along the route will expand the scale of participation, and the “Eastern Cloud Expo” will have regular online operations throughout the year, which will greatly enhance the effectiveness of economic and trade cooperation.
Bravely seize opportunities and enhance technological innovation
Seizing the opportunity of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, giving play to the role of technological innovation, and developing the digital economy has become the development consensus of ASEAN countries.
The digital economy has become an important area of cooperation that promotes the stable development of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, and technological innovation is the key to the everlasting vitality of the CAEXPO. The previous China-ASEAN Expos have built a series of exhibition activities around innovative elements, focusing on the connection of innovative technologies and improving the actual effects of economic and trade.
Standing at the meeting point of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN dialogue relationship and the China-ASEAN Sustainable Development Cooperation Year, enhancing technological innovation and deepening digital economic cooperation is the highlight of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo.
During the current China-ASEAN Expo, the 9th China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Innovation Cooperation Conference, the China-ASEAN Advanced Technology Exhibition and other activities will be held. China will sign technology transfer agreements or memorandums with many ASEAN countries to establish China-ASEAN technology transfer alliance. The China-ASEAN Digital Silk Road Summit and the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Summit will also be held to pragmatically promote the comprehensive acceleration of China-ASEAN information port construction and insert “digital wings” for regional cooperation.
Live up to the mission and enhance cooperation in the fight against the epidemic
Since 2020, the sudden outbreak of new crown pneumonia has brought new challenges to global development and regional cooperation. However, the China-ASEAN Expo will have the courage and confidence to start again, and will continue to release signals to enhance cooperation in the fight against the epidemic.
The 18th CAEXPO will continue to set up a public epidemic prevention and sanitation exhibition area, aiming to showcase the results of epidemic prevention and control and business opportunities in the health industry, and promote international anti-epidemic cooperation for ASEAN. At the same time, a series of activities such as the International Medical Innovation Cooperation Forum will also be held. These measures have brought an inspiring force-at any time, mutual assistance and win-win cooperation are the true meaning of the China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
Knowing Junyuan is not a deep sea of clouds. The China-ASEAN Expo pursues development, advocates win-win, and conveys hope. It has built a large platform for China-ASEAN cooperation to work together and witnessed the extraordinary journey of China-ASEAN in the same boat. In the golden autumn of this year, the 18th China-ASEAN Expo is about to kick off, and China-ASEAN cooperation will open a new chapter of win-win results.
【Editor in charge: Wang Junwei】