An Extraordinary Platform for China-ASEAN Cooperation and Exchanges

The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) is an international economic and trade event jointly confirmed by the leaders of China and ASEAN. It was proposed by the Chinese side at the 7th ASEAN-China Summit in October 2003 that the CAEXPO be annually held in Nanning, Guangxi, China from the year 2004 onwards. The proposal gained positive feedback from the heads of state/government of the 10 ASEAN countries, and was written into the Chairman's Statement released afterwards. The 1st CAEXPO was successfully concluded in Nanning in November 2004, since then Nanning has become the permanent host city of the CAEXPO.

Objectives:

Advancing the China-ASEAN FTA construction for shared opportunities of cooperation and development

Defining Features:

A prominent platform that integrates friendly communication, economic & trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges and aims to deepen dialogue and reciprocal cooperation

A national-level major event in China with special international influence，co-sponsored by the central governments of 11 countries taking place annually.

China-ASEAN Business & Investment Summit (CABIS) has been held concurrently.

Accelerating upgrading of the China-ASEAN FTA and Belt & Road Cooperation, promoting policy coordination, infrastructure connection, unimpeded trade, monetary circulation and people-to-people exchanges

Building a service platform for the construction of the China-ASEAN FTA, a public platform for the exchanges on all fronts in the China-ASEAN community of shared future, a core platform connecting the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Silk Road Economic Belt, and a new investment and trade promotion center for China and ASEAN

—Pooling consensus and synergizing national development strategies

97 Chinese and foreign countries’ leaders have personally visited the previous CAEXPOs, along with over 3400 ministerial dignitaries.

During each CAEXPO, meetings between leaders, ministers, governors and mayors and high-end talks between political dignitaries and business leaders are arranged, helping reach consensus on building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and materializing the China-ASEAN “3+X” cooperation framework.

A series of documents like Nanning Declaration were released, promoting policy coordination, enhancing strategic mutual trust and providing a reliable political environmental and institutional guarantee for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

—Accelerating the construction of China-ASEAN FTA and materializing trade and investment facilitation

The exhibition contents of the CAEXPO center on the CAFTA construction progress and the different economic development levels, resource endowments, industrial mixes, features of industrial sectors of China and 10 ASEAN countries.

It pools information of businesses, commodities, projects and capitals of both sides.

It not only focuses on trade and investment cooperation, but also cooperation in transportation & logistics, customs clearance, information, e-commerce, cross-border finance and other relevant fields that can extend its value chain.

It translates the CAFTA investment and trade facilitation policies from government paperwork into tangible benefits for business circles. It becomes an accelerator of the CAFTA construction.

Co-sponsors:

Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China

Ministry of Finance and Economy Brunei Darussalam

Ministry of Commerce of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Ministry of the Trade of the Republic of Indonesia

Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia

Ministry of Commerce of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Department of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Philippines

Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore

Ministry of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand

Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

ASEAN Secretariat

Organizer:

People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Associate Organizers

Ministry of Science & Technology of China

Ministry of Industry & Information Technology of China

Ministry of Transport of China

General Administration of Customs of China

China National Tourism Administration

China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)

Hong Kong Trade Development Council(HKTDC)

CAEXPO Organizing Committee

On July 15, 2004, The CAEXPO Organizing Committee was established in Beijing.

Members of the CAEXPO Organizing Committee of the Chinese side:

Ministry of Commerce

Publicity Department of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China(CCCPC)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

National Development and Reform Commission

Ministry of Science and Technology

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Ministry of Public Security

Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security

Ministry of Environmental Protection

Ministry of Transport

Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Culture

Commission of Health and Family Planning

General Administration of Customs

General Administration of Quality Supervision

Inspection and Quarantine

National Tourism Administration

Food and Drug Administration

State Council Information Office

China National Internet Information Office

All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce

China Council for the Promotion of International Trade(CCPIT)

People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Each year, the Organizing Committee holds a theme coordination meeting to map out relevant preparatory tasks for the CAEXPO. With effective working mechanisms, the Organizing Committee has provided a strong support for the sustainable development of the CAEXPO.

The coordination meeting in September 2007 has approved 4 major CAEXPO working plans, including the plan for CAEXPO Country of Honor and inviting state leaders of China and other countries to the event, the plan for the CAEXPO Theme of the Year, the plan for the CAEXPO Organizing Committee working procedure, and the plan for members of the Organizing Committee to combine their annual working focuses with the concurrent forums of the CAEXPO. All these plans have enriched the existing working mechanism of the Organizing Committee.

The previous coordination meetings offer full support to the major issues and long-term developing strategies of the CAEXPO, thus promoting the substantial development of the grand event.

CAEXPO Senior Officials Meeting(SOM)

The CAEXPO has established certain effective and pragmatic co-sponsoring mechanisms, and an important one is the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM).

Participants of the SOM include senior officials from competent departments/bureaus of the Ministry of Commerce of China (MOFCOM), ministries of commerce/trade & industry of the 10 ASEAN countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, the CAEXPO Secretariat as well as the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The SOM, as a biannual program, allows the participants to exchange views on the preparations for the CAEXPO and brief on the progress of their own exhibitor and trade visitor inviting task and the working plan on CAEXPO-related activities.

CAEXPO Secretariat

The CAEXPO Secretariat, the standing organization of the CAEXPO, is responsible for tasks as follows:

Overall planning of the CAEXPO and organizing of major events;

Coordinating the invitation of exhibitors and trade visitors from around the globe, planning and arranging the CAEXPO exhibition pavilions, taking care of on-site administration and supporting services;

Exhibition hall and booth leasing, advertising & sponsorship, management and commercial operation of CAEXPO's exclusive brands;

Overall CI design of the CAEXPO and relevant promotion campaigns.

The CAEXPO Secretariat is composed of 10 divisions, namely, General Administrative Division, Research & Development Division, Exhibition Promotion Division, Exhibition Administration Division, Liaison Division, Information & Publicity Division, Conference & Reception Division, Marketing Division, Human Resource Division and Financing Division.

CAEXPO Supporting Chambers of Commerce

The CAEXPO Secretariat has established long-term partnership with major chambers of commerce/trade associations in China and the 10 ASEAN countries, and invited some of them to be the CAEXPO Supporting Chambers of Commerce, thus pragmatically strengthening the cooperation with the business communities of both sides.

Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Brunei Darussalam

Brunei-China Friendship Association

Cambodia Chamber of Commerce

Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia

Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia

China Hong Kong & Macao Expatriate & Business Association of Cambodia

Association of Indonesia-China Economic, Social & Cultural Cooperation

Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry - China Committee

Indonesian Chinese Entrepreneur Association

Lao National Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce

Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers

Malaysia-China Friendship Association

The Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Malaysia

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry

Myanmar Industries Association

Myanmar Agro Based Food Processors & Exporters Association

Myanmar Forest Products & Timber Merchants Association

Myanmar Pulses, Beans & Sesame Seeds Merchants Association

Myanmar Fisheries Federation

Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, INC.

Singapore Business Federation

Singapore Manufacturing Federation

Association of Small & Medium Enterprises

Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Singapore-China Business Association

Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce

The Federation of Thai Industries

Thailand-China Business Council

All-Thai Traders Association

Vietnam Chamber of Commerce

China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Textiles

China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Light Industrial Products & Arts-Crafts

China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals & Chemicals Importers & Exporters

China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-products

China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Machinery & Electronic Products

China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products

China International Contractors Association

China Food and Packaging Machinery Industry Association

China Electricity Council

Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society

The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce