On 13 September 2018, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) co-hosted the China-ASEAN Cross-border E-commerce Cooperation Forum with China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Nanning. Mr. Chen Dehai, ACC Secretary-General, together with Mr. Chen Zhou, Vice Chairman of CCPIT, Mr. Zhang Xiulong, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr. Wang Xun, Vice President of World Trade Centres Association, Mr. Ye Dingda, Deputy Director General of Department of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the MIIT, and Mr. Raymond Tavares, Industrial Development Officer of UNIDO, attended the forum and delivered remarks. About 350 guests were present, including government representatives from ASEAN and China, representatives of chambers of commerce, e-commerce enterprises, research institutes and the media.

Secretary-General Chen Dehai said in his speech that since the establishment of dialogue relations between ASEAN and China in 1991, an all-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging cooperation framework has taken shape. At present, e-commerce has gradually become a new engine driving the world economy. It is a common need of both sides to promote cross-border e-commerce cooperation and sustainable development of trade and investment between ASEAN and China. We should take the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation as an opportunity to press for a sustained and rapid development of cross-border e-commerce cooperation by innovating institution, enhancing policy synergy, building effective platforms, strengthening coordination and cooperation in rules, technology, finance, logistics and other aspects, so as to benefit more people in the region.

Focusing on the themes of "creating new cross-border e-commerce model" and "prospects for ASEAN-China cross-border e-commerce cooperation", representatives held lively discussions on building ASEAN-China cross-border e-commerce platforms, digital trade, supply chain monitoring and the development trend of cross-border e-commerce.

During the event, the CCPIT Academy and the EABC China Committee released respectively a report on “trade facilitation influences and promotes China-ASEAN cross-border e-commerce” and a “guidebook on customs clearance for commodities in ASEAN 10 plus 3 countries”.