ASEAN Secretary General Gao Jinhong stated on the 24th that the China ASEAN Expo (referred to as the East Expo) has made important contributions to the economic integration between ASEAN and China over the years, promoting investment flows and opportunities for cross-border economic cooperation, laying the foundation for building a more interconnected, complementary, resilient, and dynamic region, and promoting the construction of regional common prosperity. On the same day, the 21st China ASEAN Expo and China ASEAN Business and Investment Summit opened in Nanning. Gao Jinhong made the above statement in his speech at the opening ceremony. Gao Jinhong pointed out that since the first East Asian Expo, trade and investment between ASEAN and China have grown exponentially. Nowadays, ASEAN and China are each other's largest trading partners. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, the bilateral trade scale between China and ASEAN countries has rapidly expanded since the East Expo was held 20 years ago, growing from 876.38 billion yuan (RMB) in 2004 to 6.41 trillion yuan in 2023, with an average annual growth rate of 11%. Gao Jinhong stated that ASEAN and the Chinese government have always been steadfast in promoting a strong and forward-looking economic integration process to strengthen commercial and trade ties. With the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the upgrading of the China ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, entrepreneurs from ASEAN and China are at the forefront of the economic integration process. Gao Jinhong pointed out that currently, ASEAN is strengthening its internal trade mechanism and striving to become a regional and global supply chain center. In addition, ASEAN is at the forefront of driving the two transformative trends of digitization and sustainability, negotiating a digital economy framework agreement, and implementing a "carbon neutrality" strategy to accelerate the region's inclusive transition to a green economy. These efforts have laid the foundation for potential cooperation with external partners in the future. Gao Jinhong believes that the East Expo has now expanded into a comprehensive forum covering infrastructure, agriculture, technology, education, tourism and other fields. It not only promotes trade and investment opportunities, but also has the dual nature of a commercial and diplomatic platform. It has become an important event to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN, and a witness to the lasting friendship, cooperation and common prosperity of both sides. Gao Jinhong stated that with the continuous evolution of the global economic and strategic landscape, the China ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership remains the key for both sides to make progress, achieve common prosperity and resilience. The new measures launched at this year's East Asian Expo, such as the China ASEAN Youth Leaders Growth Plan and exhibit selection, are expected to promote innovation and cooperation between the two sides in the coming years. (New Society)