On 16 January 2018, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), and Tan?Sri?Dato’?Sri Lim?Gait?Tong, Chairman of China-ASEAN Business Association, met with Mr. Wang Lei, Director-General of International Expositions Bureau of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Secretary-General of China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), and exchanged views on ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China economic cooperation. Attended the meeting were Mr. Teh Eng Hin, National Council Member of China-ASEAN Business Association and President of Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (Penang), Mr. Fan Longhai, Deputy Secretary-General of CAEXPO, Mr. Liang Yiguang, Director of International Exchanges Division of International Expositions Bureau of Guangxi, Ms. Shen Weina, Executive Director of Board of Guangxi CAEXPO Hotel Management Co., Ltd., and Mr. Zhang Xuehai, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC.

Director-General Wang Lei welcomed Tan?Sri?Dato’?Sri Lim?Gait?Tong and Secretary-General Yang Xiuping to visit Guangxi, and gave an overview of the work of the International Expositions Bureau of Guangxi and CAEXPO. He mentioned that CAEXPO is an economic and business cooperation platform co-built by ten ASEAN countries and China that is centered with exposition and covers exchanges in various areas on multiple levels. In recent years, CAEXPO upholds the concept of mutual benefit and win-win result, and amplifies its mandate from serving cooperation between China and ASEAN to cooperation among member countries of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Belt and Road Initiative. CAEXPO has made innovative efforts in promoting integrative and interactive exposition. Apart from the major exposition, it organizes 5 expositions with professions in China and 3 in ASEAN countries annually.

Director-General Wang Lei appreciated ACC and China-ASEAN Business Association for the long standing support and assistance. He mentioned that Tan?Sri?Dato’?Sri Lim?Gait?Tong is an eminent entrepreneur and leader of business association of Malaysia dedicating to promoting ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China win-win cooperation. He has been involved in the development of CAEXPO since the very preliminary stage, and made important contributions to CAEXPO. ACC has maintained contacts with CAEXPO Secretariat for long, and held a series of important events in CAEXPO for several consecutive years that substantially enrich the connotation of CAEXPO. The 15th CAEXPO is going to take place in September 2018 that possesses an significant meaning due to the 15th anniversary of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership as well as the15th anniversary of CAEXPO. He hoped ACC and the Association could continue to take active part in CAEXPO and offer more suggestions to the development of CAEXPO.

Tan?Sri?Dato’?Sri Lim?Gait?Tong recalled his experience of participating in CAEXPO and spoke highly of the notable achievements of CAEXPO. He mentioned that with the strong supports and active participation from the governments and various sectors of ASEAN and China, CAEXPO has become an important platform and bridge promoting ASEAN-China mutually beneficial economic and business cooperation. ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China relations have been moving forward smoothly, and exchanges in various areas have been ever-closer. Both sides are working on realizing the goal of achieving two-way trade value of USD 1 trillion by 2020. Guangxi and CAEXPO have played and will continue to play an important role to this end. He hoped to maintain closer contacts with CAEXPO Secretariat and actively explore cooperation approaches to raise ASEAN-China and Malaysia-China economic and business cooperation to a new height.

Secretary-General Yang commended CAEXPO’s notable achievements and the Bureau’s outstanding contributions to ASEAN-China relations. She mentioned that ACC and CAEXPO shoulder the same responsibility in promoting ASEAN-China friendly exchanges and practical cooperation. Both sides have maintained good relations. As a one-stop information and activities centre, ACC will continue to keep closer contacts with CAEXPO Secretariat and the China-ASEAN Business Association led by Tan?Sri?Dato’?Sri Lim?Gait?Tong, fully leverage each other’s strength and provide more useful platforms to enterprises of ASEAN and China in view of promoting ASEAN-China socio-economic development and contributing more to the in-depth and all-around development of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership.

Accompanied by Director-General Wang Lei, Secretary-General Yang Xiuping and Tan?Sri?Dato’?Sri Lim?Gait?Tong visited the construction site of the affiliated buildings of the Nanning International Convention Centre and learned about the construction process and its future plan.