The upcoming 21st China-ASEAN Expo is expected to advance the building of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 and promote high-quality regional development through a variety of economic and trade activities, the expo's secretariat said at a news conference on Monday in Nanning, capital of Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The expo will be held in Nanning from Tuesday to Saturday, with Malaysia to be the country of honor.

Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang will attend and address the opening ceremony of the expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning on Tuesday. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will deliver a video address.

"Trade and economic activities at the event are increasingly emphasizing practicality and highlighting key areas to promote cooperation in the digital economy and green economy," said Zeng Zhong, deputy secretary-general of the China-ASEAN Expo secretariat.

It will also focus on cooperation, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states holding national promotion events. For example, Indonesia is organizing promotional events focusing on environmental protection and investment. Cambodia's national promotion events emphasize commerce, investment and tourism. Vietnam's promotions will highlight trade and economic integration.

Zeng said the expo has been extended from four to five days, with the additional day open to the public. The exhibition layout has been optimized, with the addition of strategic emerging themes showcasing new, high-quality productive forces, along with new areas for digital technology and cultural exchanges.

More than 2,000 companies will be exhibiting in the main exhibition area. More than 800 ASEAN and regional foreign companies are participating, accounting for more than 41 percent of exhibitors.

"There are more than 400 companies from the Fortune Global 500 and China's Top 500, as well as unicorns and specialized, innovative enterprises — representing a 15 percent increase over the previous session," Zeng said.

Chinese exhibitors will showcase drivers of new quality production such as the digital economy, new energy vehicles and green, low-carbon technologies, including applications such as Beidou chips and high-end mechanical equipment.

More than 1,100 Chinese and foreign leaders, ASEAN ambassadors to China, heads of international organizations, entrepreneurs, experts and scholars will be present at the opening ceremony.

"Through such high-level dialogue activities as the opening ceremony, we hope a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future will emerge," Zeng said.

China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, and ASEAN became China's top trading partner in 2020. Last year, the value of trade between China and ASEAN members reached $911.7 billion.

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