The fifth China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), a widely anticipated event both at home and abroad, began yesterday in Nanning which is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
This event has been valued as an effective platform by both Chinese and overseas companies to seek business opportunities. The application of 3,500 exhibition booths shows that they have great interest in the annual event.
10+1>11 is the simple equation used by organizers to describe the meaning of CAEXPO to China as well as the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As the only international trade and investment event jointly sponsored by the governments of China and ASEAN countries, the expo plays the role of an instrument in developing the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), promoting strategic partnerships between the two sides and enhancing regional cooperation.
The event is divided into four sections—commodity trading, investment cooperation, agricultural applied technology and charming cities. This year, it will host 3,300 exhibition booths, 1,222 of which have been taken up by ASEAN exhibitors, accounting more than one third of the total stands. That creates a record.
Cambodia honored
According to Xinhua report, Cambodia has been valued being made country of honor. The “country of honor”, debuted last year, means ASEAN countries will take turns of being the focus of the show. Brunei was the country of honor last year and the countries are selected by alphabetic. Since Cambodia is the country of honor this year, organizers plan to add more Cambodian elements to the expo and decorate the hall with Cambodian style.
Cambodian Prime Minister, the only ASEAN leader that has visited the expo for five consecutive years, heads a large trade delegation to occupy 150 stands and show off their products at the national exhibition hall. Meanwhile, high-ranking governmental officials, entrepreneurs and representatives of trade associations from China and Cambodia will attend a presentation today.
Additionally, Cambodian artists will participate at the concurrent gala show to showcase the culture of their country.
It is the 50 anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia this year. Nearly 600 Cambodian companies have joined in the previous four expos, in which total trade volume surpassed $20 million and investment contracts worth $900 million concluded.
CAEXPO expands its influence
CAEXPO not only focuses on exchange between China and ASEAN countries, but open to players outside the circle. Japan and South Korea participated in the first session in 2004. The US and European buyers including retail giant Wal-mart have visited the previous sessions. This year, five trade delegations from France, Russia, Switzerland, Japan, and South Korea are expected to participate in the event.
To increase the global influence of CAEXPO, organizers will introduce an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) roundtable to Nanning, which will be held in Beijing from Oct 24 to 25 as part of ASEM. Such kind of integration reflects the openness of CAEXPO, organizers said.
Focus on info-tech
Apart from the roundtable, there will also be 15 symposiums and forums during the expo, three of which are about information communication technology (ICT), the main theme of this expo.
During this expo, a memo on jointly building an information network is expected between China and ASEAN. And they also will set up a cooperative framework for Internet safety and release a guidebook for telecommunication services common to both sides.
Since last year, one of the 10 priority cooperative sectors, which China and ASEAN are advancing as the main theme of each year, has been selected.
These themes are shown by the opening ceremony, exhibition arrangements and high-end forums correspondingly.
In 2008, the 11 cities presented in the pavilion Cities of Charm all show off their relatively advanced information industries. China’s representative is Suzhou in Jiangsu province.
An expo that works
CAEXPO, originally proposed by Premier Wen Jiabao, began in 2004.
The expo has offered 12,869 exhibition booths in all and 123,500 participants during the past four sessions. The total trade volume registered is $4.92 billion.
Up to now, 37 Chinese and ASEAN chambers of commerce and trade associations have set up relations with the expo.
According to organizers, CAEXPO has risen to become one of the leading multinational expos during the past four years, with the number of participants rising to 42,000 in 2007, from 18,000 four years ago.
The China-ASEAN Expo is highly assessed both as a fruitful business event and an important multilateral campaign by the countries involved, organizer stressed. China and ASEAN have improved the region through a number of forums and conferences held during the expo.
Exhibitions fee exemptions
According to organizers, Sichuan exhibitors will be exempted from exhibition fees totaling over 350,000 yuan ($51,000) for participating in the fifth China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO).
The expo was scheduled to start yesterday and last through Saturday, in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
The annual event is regarded as a golden opportunity by Sichuan province, parts of which through an 8.0-magnitude earthquake, to improve cooperation with ASEAN countries and restore its industrial strength after the quake, with 27 firms presented at the expo and taking up 30 exhibition booths.
The exhibition, mainly concerning agriculture, construction materials, electronics, and machinery and equipment, consist of some famous Sichuan enterprises such as Dongfang Electric, Sichuan Machines and Equipment Import and Export Co Ltd and a subsidiary of Panzhihua Iron and Steel Group, the Metallurgy and Construction Co.
ASEM roundtable tabled
A roundtable for investment promotional agencies, part of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) activities, is being held in Nanning now.
The aim of the meeting current with the fifth CAEXPO is to offer a platform for investment in the promotional agencies of ASEM members, and to exchange information and opinions on two-way investment.
This time, nearly 100 representatives of governmental arms, business communities and international organizations from 28 European countries and institutions and 16 Asian countries are present at the meeting.
Volunteers are ready
Over 70 volunteers from foreign countries have signed up to work at the expo.
Moat of the volunteers, ranking from 25 to 40, are government officials from ASEAN countries. These volunteers, who are now studying for a training program at the China Guangxi International Youth Exchange Institute, have shown great enthusiasm in their new roles and said they would catch the chance to better understand China.
Organizers said, “They have been provided with special training, which contributes to improve the partnership between China and ASEAN countries.”
Ambassadors of beauty
China’s Yu Yuan, a flight attendant from Shenzhen Airlines, won the championship in a beauty contest and became China-ASEAN etiquette ambassador.
Over 3,000 Chinese and ASEAN participants took part in the contest held in May, and 46 of them got to the final.
According to organizers, the contest focused on self-confidence and elegance and reflected the positive influence history and culture of the countries have on their peoples.
Some of the participants will sign up to be volunteers for the expo and show their healthy charms in the fifth CAEXPO.
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