On September 17, the 23rd China–ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China–ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS), themed "Sharing 3.0 Opportunities, Jointly Creating a Better Life," opened in Nanning. Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended and addressed at the opening ceremony.

Ding Xuexiang said the China–ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) is an important vehicle for building a community with a shared future between China and ASEAN. In November 2021, at the summit marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China–ASEAN dialogue relations, President Xi Jinping proposed launching the building of Version 3.0 of the China–ASEAN Free Trade Area as soon as possible, pointing the way toward taking the free trade area to a higher level. Through the joint efforts of both sides, CAFTA has operated steadily and delivered fruitful results, strongly promoting regional economic integration and bringing tangible benefits to people across the region.

Ding Xuexiang pointed out that once the Protocol on Upgrading the China–ASEAN Free Trade Area to Version 3.0 takes effect, it will inject continuous new momentum into regional economic development. Toward developing a higher-level China–ASEAN Free Trade Area, he proposed four recommendations. First, comprehensively elevate regional openness. Establish a more refined cooperation framework and institutional arrangements, deepen cooperation in standards and technical regulations, and accelerate the development of an open, inclusive, rules-based regional integrated market. Second, upgrade the quality of trade and investment cooperation. Firmly strengthen confidence and resolve to address international economic and trade challenges collaboratively, further expand the depth and breadth of cooperation, and jointly maintain the stability of regional and global industrial and supply chains. Third, deepen substantive cooperation in emerging fields. Jointly advance regional digital economic development, expand cooperation on artificial intelligence applications, facilitate trade in environmental products and services, and cultivate new growth drivers for high-quality regional economic development. Fourth, make regional connectivity more convenient and efficient. Capitalize on the unique advantage of shared geographical proximity between China and ASEAN, coordinate the construction of infrastructure including railways, highways, ports, and airports, eliminate cross-border logistics bottlenecks, and construct the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor to high standards.

Myanmar Vice President Nyo Saw, Vietnam Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc, Lao Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Chen Gang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce; and Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), also addressed at the ceremony. Diplomatic envoys of ASEAN countries to China, ministers from China and ASEAN member states, heads of local governments, and representatives from various sectors attended the opening ceremony. Li Li, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), attended the opening ceremony upon invitation. Before the opening ceremony, Li Li led a delegation to inspect the Madao Hub of the Pinglu Canal, where the delegation learned in detail about navigation on the canal and visited the lock gates of the hub on site.

▲ Li Li visits staff at the CGN exhibition booth and engages in discussions

Under the theme "Empowering Free Trade with Smart Nuclear, Connecting ASEAN with Green Power," CGN exhibited at this year's Expo, bringing to its pavilion digital-intelligence achievements such as Hualong One, a major national strategic asset; FirmSys, the "nerve center" of nuclear power plants; and digital nuclear power, together with integrated new energy development solutions and a series of innovations in nuclear technology applications, fully demonstrating CGN's strength and commitment in serving China–ASEAN green cooperation.

▲CGN Booth