Ninth China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business & Investment Summit successfully concludes

On the afternoon of Sept 25, the organizing committee of the CAEXPO and CABIS held a closing ceremony and press conference. They gave a brief about the achievements of the ninth CAEXPO and CABIS and declared the two events successfully concluded.

Present at the closing ceremony and press conference were 200 people, including Lan Tianli, vice-governor of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region; delegates of the co-sponsors in China and ASEAN countries; delegates from the ASEAN secretariat; leaders of the Guangxi Command Center for the CAEXPO and CABIS; and journalists from home and abroad.

The closing ceremony was held amidst an atmosphere of China-ASEAN win-win cooperation. To commend the efforts and achievements, the organizing committee gave out different awards. At the closing ceremony, the awards were presented to the exhibitors or organizers of China and the ASEAN.

Vice-Governor Lan Tianli and a representative of the ASEAN secretariat presented the Special Award of Honor for the Country of Honor, the Greatest Support and Contribution Award, the Best Industrial Organization Award, the Best Brand Exhibition Award, the Best Purchaser Organization Award, the Best Exhibitor Organization Award, the Best Investment Promotion Award, the Best “City of Charm” Award, and the Best Image Showcasing Award. The handover ceremony of the City of Charm of China was held, transferring the title from Guangzhou to Nanning. Moreover, the location for each country’s City of Charm Pavilion was announced.

The organizing committee also held a press conference where Vice-Governor Lan reported the achievements of the CAEXPO and general plans for the next.

According to Vice-Governor Lan, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Framework Agreement on China-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation. It is also the Year of China-ASEAN Cooperation in Science and Technology. Under such complex and changeable international economic circumstances, the success of the ninth CAEXPO and CABIS has turned out to be of great significance and impact.

The ninth CAEXPO and CABIS highlights the theme of "Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development," pragmatically pushing forward China-ASEAN friendship and cooperation and yielding fruitful results. Many state leaders attended the CAEXPO and CABIS, including Xi Jinping, vice-president of the People's Republic of China; U. Thein Sein, president of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; Thongsing Thammavong, prime minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Nguyen Tan Dung, prime minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Tan Sri Dato Haji Muhyiddin bin Haji Mohd Yassin, deputy prime minister of Malaysia; Kittiratt Na-Ranong, vice-prime minister and minister of finance of the Kingdom of Thailand; Cham Prasidh, senior minister and minister of commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia; Pehin Dato Awang Haji Yahya, minister of industry and primary resources of Brunei Darussalam; Manuel “Mar” Roxas, interior secretary of the Republic of the Philippines; Cham Prasidh, senior minister and minister of commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia; Gusmardi Bustami, director general for national export development of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia; Lim Hong Hin, deputy secretary general of the ASEAN; and Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, deputy secretary-general of the ASEAN secretariat and secretary-general of the UNCTAD. The total number of ministerial officials present at this expo amounted to 267, with 107 of them coming from ASEAN countries and international organizations, which signifies a new peak in the history of the CAEXPO.

The high-profile attendance of state leaders and ministerial officials from China and ASEAN countries indicates that even though faced with a sluggish world economy, a worsening European debt crisis, and other unstable and uncertain factors, China and ASEAN countries have the confidence and determination to further strengthen mutual benefits and cooperation, to promote the construction and development of the CAFTA and to achieve common prosperity and win-win cooperation by making use of the CAEXPO and CABIS.

Other high-profile conferences between governments and businesses from Chinese provinces, cities and ASEAN countries were also held. All of these activities combined friendly communication with trade and economic cooperation, providing a better political and system safeguard for mutual cooperation as well as making new contributions to the long-term development of China-ASEAN friendly relations.

Thanks to innovation in exhibitions and trade promotion, the expo witnessed better returns. As of 4 pm Sept 25, the total contract volume amounted to $1.88 billion, 3.9 percent higher than the last expo. The international economic cooperation programs signed have a total investment reaching $8.2 billion, 10.6 percent up year-on-year. The domestic economic cooperation programs signed numbered 104 with a total investment of 8.02 billion yuan, 9.7 percent up. The themes of the CAEXPO and CABIS have become more distinguished to push regional economic cooperation to a higher level.

The China-ASEAN Plaza was inaugurated during this CAEXPO. A series of meetings and interactive activities have been successfully organized to promote friendly neighborliness through comprehensive cooperation. Thirteen meetings and interactive activities have been organized by other departments and institutions in the fields of science and technology, quality inspection, and finance, yielding great achievements. For instance, the Science and Technology Partnership Program was launched at the Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting. The Ministerial Meeting on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued a joint statement. In addition, a series of cultural activities, including the Nanning International Folk Song and Arts Festival, were held to enhance friendship,

Publicity services have experienced innovation. With attention from domestic and foreign media, the CAEXPO has been more and more influential. A total of 1,672 journalists from 287 media outlets of 13 countries came to cover this event. Among them, 89 are from ASEAN countries, an increase of 29 percent from last year’s expo. According to incomplete statistics, by 10 am Sept 25, the total number of articles released by Chinese and foreign media amounted to 6,800. Internet broadcasts (including reprints) included 110,000 relevant news reports, 33,000 photos, and 446 video clips. Deliberate security measures and enhanced service support have helped to create a safe and convenient environment for negotiations and dealings during the CAEXPO.

To sum up, Vice-Governor Lan said, “We have organized pragmatic high-level friendly exchanges and diversified exchanges in various fields such as economy, trade and culture. All these activities have enhanced mutual understanding and trust between China and the ASEAN, creating more business opportunities for enterprises, promoting the development of the CAFTA, and deepening our strategic partnership.” In the end, he declared the successful closing of the ninth CAEXPO.

Wei Ran, deputy secretary general of the Guangxi people’s government, presided over the closing ceremony, and the press conference was chaired by Han Shengjian, deputy director of Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce.

Edited by Michael Thai