At the 23rd China-ASEAN Exhibition, held in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, a unique platform for an artificial intelligence marketplace was presented. This initiative aims to strengthen cooperation in the field of the digital economy by connecting Chinese AI solutions with the needs of ASEAN countries.
The event, running from September 17 to 21, establishes new standards in its dedicated AI section, featuring both a main and an auxiliary hall, each with its own specific focus, according to exhibition organizers.
The main hall showcases advanced technologies, including large language models and AI chips. Meanwhile, the auxiliary hall presents over 400 products from 60 companies adapted for the ASEAN market. These products include AI glasses, smart robots, as well as devices for rehabilitation and patient care. Visitors and buyers can test these goods on site and place orders directly.
Within the auxiliary hall, Chinese firms such as Huawei, iFlytek, and Unitree Robotics demonstrate the latest achievements in embodied intelligence, large model applications, and urban management. Organizations from ASEAN countries, including Thailand and Indonesia, also present their own AI technologies at this venue.
The AI auxiliary hall will operate year-round after the exhibition concludes, offering consumer AI products from China throughout the year and helping to transform the exhibition's successes into a continuous impetus for their global promotion.
Lu Xinning, Deputy Chairman of the Guangxi regional government, noted: 'We are not chasing the most cutting-edge technology or the most comprehensive range of products. We strive for the best alignment with ASEAN's needs and achieving the most tangible results on the ground.'
The exhibition also includes a new exhibition zone that brings together projects and application needs from ASEAN countries in areas such as transportation, smart logistics, AI, city management, and industrial park development. Furthermore, a 10,000 square meter zone dedicated to 'AI Plus Finance' has been added to the financial exhibition space.
By using AI as a bridge, the exhibition creates a 'super-interface' for digital economic cooperation between China and ASEAN. This leap comes amid efforts by China and ASEAN to accelerate the implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone Upgrade Protocol 3.0, signed in October 2025, which covers areas such as the digital economy and green development.
Economic ties between China and ASEAN continue to deepen. Bilateral trade exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, reaching $1.05 trillion, which is 7.4% more than the previous year. In the first seven months of 2026, trade between the two sides reached $744.41 billion, a 24.7% increase compared to the same period last year, accounting for 17.1% of China's total foreign trade. China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for six consecutive years.
