23rd China-ASEAN Expo Opens in Nanning with Focus on AI and Free Trade Area 3.0

The year 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership. The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, part of a series of commemorative events, opened on September 17 in Nanning. Under the theme "Sharing 3.0 Opportunities, Creating a Better Life," this year's expo and summit highlight trade and economics as the main line, AI as the protagonist, enterprises as the main body, and applications as a distinctive feature. They focus on free trade area development to promote high-quality regional economic growth and showcase new achievements and highlights in China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation.

China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, and ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for six consecutive years. With the formal signing of the upgraded protocol of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, bilateral free trade cooperation and regional economic integration will expand into emerging areas such as digital, green, standards, and industrial and supply chains. Through policy interpretation, supply-demand matching, and technical exchanges, the expo and summit will promote the Free Trade Area 3.0, advance digital and green trade, and bring business opportunities, policies, and benefits directly to enterprises.

In response to the wave of artificial intelligence development, the expo and summit highlight AI applications, showcasing AI products and solutions across multiple dimensions. The expo features an "AI hypermarket" displaying more than 400 products in eight major categories. The summit holds scenario-matching activities and officially releases the "Smart Chain Land and Sea: China-ASEAN AI International Cooperation Case Collection (2026)," promoting the transition of AI technology from cutting-edge display to industrial application.

The Pinglu Canal has been completed and opened to navigation, further expanding the two-way channel for China-ASEAN economic and trade exchanges. The expo includes a Pinglu Canal exhibition area, using the canal as a link to showcase Guangxi's efforts to strengthen its maritime economy and connect China and ASEAN; the summit incorporates Pinglu Canal elements into multiple activities. Nanning Weitiou Supply Chain Management Company previously conducted cross-border land logistics with ASEAN mainly through China-Vietnam freight trains. The company plans to leverage the water transport advantages of the Pinglu Canal to develop multimodal transport models such as river-sea and rail-water intermodal transport, integrating road, rail, and water transport resources to achieve seamless cargo connections and efficient transshipment.

The expo's tourism exhibition area focuses on cross-border tourism trade and innovative practices linking culture, tourism, and trade. Brunei and Guangxi have opened direct flights. In 2026, the expo for the first time sets up an ASEAN demand exhibition, concentrating on displaying ASEAN countries' technological and application needs to facilitate precise matching by Chinese enterprises. It also for the first time introduces a chain-leader enterprise "big guiding small" participation model, with industry leaders such as China Datang and Sinomach Group leading upstream and downstream enterprises to participate collectively, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to expand markets alongside chain leaders. This year's economic and trade activities include 50 sessions, and leading e-commerce livestreaming tours of the exhibition halls are organized to help quality ASEAN products enter the Chinese market.