NANNING, 17 October 2025 (TATOLI) – Ahead of its formal accession to ASEAN, Timor-Leste is showcasing its products at the China-ASEAN Mercantile Exchange (CAMEX) in Guangxi Province, China. The CAMEX Center highlights Timor-Leste’s natural resources, iconic tourist destinations, and rich cultural heritage.
CAMEX features 17 themed pavilions that showcase the products and cultural highlights of ASEAN member states, including Timor-Leste, as well as five Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) partners – Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Australia, and Pakistan.
Timor-Leste’s pavilion showcases its key natural resources, including oil and gas fields, gold, and copper deposits. The pavilion also promotes Timor-Leste’s renowned landmarks and tourist attractions, such as the Cristo Rei Statue, the Dili Cathedral, and the country’s pristine, crystal-clear beaches. These displays aim to encourage visitors to experience Timor-Leste’s scenic beauty firsthand.
Traditional clothing known as Tais is also on display, highlighting Timor-Leste’s unique cultural identity preserved and passed down through generations.
The China-ASEAN Mercantile Exchange provides Timor-Leste with new opportunities to expand trade and connect with Chinese enterprises and markets. It also helps Chinese investors interested in Timor-Leste explore potential investment opportunities and gain a better understanding of the country for future ventures.
Established in 2021, CAMEX gathers products from RCEP member countries and partner countries of the Belt and Road Initiative, promoting business cooperation and helping companies explore new markets.
Phillip Chong, CAMEX’s International Marketing Director, led a media delegation from Asia-Pacific countries, including Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, and Timor-Leste, on a tour of the exchange. He said that once Timor-Leste officially joins ASEAN, its companies will be invited to market their products through CAMEX.
“When it’s ready, we can invite East Timor’s companies to work with us and promote themselves here in Guangxi,” Chong said during the tour.
Located in the Nanning Area of the China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Nanning Comprehensive Bonded Zone, CAMEX currently features nearly 5,000 varieties of commodities from ASEAN countries.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
