NEARLY 2,000 enterprises, including 350 global Fortune 500 companies, attended the 20th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, a city in Southern China near the Vietnam border, which kicked off this weekend.
The event boasts 19 high-level forums and more than 70 economic, and trade promotion activities from September 16 to 19.
At its opening ceremony, Chinese Premier Li Qiang hailed the China-ASEAN relations as the most successful and dynamic model in Regional Asia-Pacific Cooperation.
He added that it is a clear example of how to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for all.
The Chinese premier emphasized that the two sides are committed to strengthening themselves through unity, win-win cooperation, and consideration for the world.
China and ASEAN have been each other’s largest trading partners for many years, with bilateral trade jumping from $ 641.5 B in 2019 to $ 975.3 B in 2022.
Local officials hope the expo will debunk the US Treasury’s rhetoric and the smear campaign launched by several us officials and media outlets that China’s economy is slowing down.
The Chinese mouthpiece Global Times said the US-launched smear campaign has become increasingly hysterical ahead of the 2024 US presidential elections.
