China-ASEAN Expo courting in the involvement of Guangdong B&R businessmen

The 2018 China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) will hopefully get more  involvement from more Belt and Road (B&R) countries and regions as its  organizers are putting efforts on promotional endeavors to invite both  exhibitors and visitors from those countries and regions.

At a recent promotion in Guangzhou targeting representatives of  consulates general, chambers of commerce as well as other international  institutions based in the nation's economic powerhouse Guangdong province, Yang  Yanyan, vice secretary-general of the CAEXPO Secretariat, said that the  forthcoming expo welcomes B&R exhibitors to cash in on the platform for  penetrating the market bonanza in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area that makes up  for one third of the world's population and will continue the 2017 practice of  launching a special "B&R" and international exhibition hall.

Representatives of consulates general, chambers of commerce and other  international institutions in Guangdong province attend the promotion in  Guangzhou. [Photo provided to  chinadaily.com.cn]

Yang  Yanyan, vice secretary-general of the CAEXPO Secretariat, introduces the 2018  CAEXPO to guests. [Photo provided to  chinadaily.com.cn]

The expo, to be held in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang  autonomous region, from Sept 12 to 15, is jointly sponsored by the China  National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce of China  and Guangxi government, with Cambodia as this year's special partner  country.

Yang said that the event is also expecting many more buyers from  B&R countries and regions to source a wide variety of quality products made  in China and ASEAN countries, ranging from equipment and machinery, electronics  and electrical appliances, building materials as well as food and beverages,  consumer goods, arts and crafts.

Zaimah Osman, Malaysian commercial counselor in Guangzhou, delivers a  speech at the promotion. [Photo provided to  chinadaily.com.cn]

Businessmen and government officials from the B&R countries  and regions are also invited to talk about economic and trade co-operations or  partake in the forthcoming forums, she added.

"CAEXPO distinguishes itself from other international expositions  in 3Cs – common interest, connection and cooperation," she said.

By common interest, she explained, CAEXPO represents the common  interest of all parties – the ministries of commerce or trade or industry of  China and the 10 ASEAN countries – and opens to other economies beyond the  China-ASEAN region.

By connection, CAEXPO has the B&R and International  Commodities Pavilion in a bid to promote international industrial capacity  cooperation and equipment manufacturing and explore new cooperative  mechanism.

And by cooperation, CAEXPO will sincerely cooperate with  enterprises from different countries and share consequential business  opportunities arising from the B&R initiative with them.

Addressing the promotion, Hwang Soon-taik, consul general of the  Republic of Korea in Guangzhou, said that CAEXPO is an important platform for  connecting B&R countries and regions. Simultaneously it also provides  opportunities for exchanges and cooperation among China, ASEAN and other B&R  countries.

He said that his consulate general will continue to support CAEXPO  and make good use of the platform.

CAEXPO has seen 67 country leaders, 2,900 ministerial officials  and over 660,000 businesspeople since it was established in 2004.

The 14th CAEXPO in 2017 attracted over 10,000 professional buyers  including 4,000 from abroad.

Agreements have been reached for a wealth of cooperative projects  during the past 14 years.

They include the "Twin Parks" project between China and Malaysia,  a $770-million power plant project between China Tianjin Electrical Power  Construction Co Ltd and Malaysia Jaks Resources Berhad in Vietnam, a  $110-million sugar cane processing project between Guangxi Siyuan Agricultural  Development Co Ltd and Cambodia Import & Export and Construction Co Ltd, a  200-million yuan ($31.2-million) cooperation project between  Sri Lanka and Hubei province as well as a logistics project between Kazakhstan  and Guangxi to enable Kazakh agro-based products to get easier access to the  ASEAN markets.