23rd CAEXPO marks new momentum in AI and Trade Matching as Timor-Leste makes debut
NANNING, 17 September 2026 (TATOLI) – The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning, China, has reached a significant milestone. For the first time, Timor-Leste is participating as a co-organizer, uniting all 11 ASEAN Member States at a premier economic cooperation event.
Li Pan, Deputy Commander of the 23rd CAEXPO and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) alongside Director of the News and Publicity Department, noted that regional engagement has scaled up markedly this year.
“This year’s Expo has achieved a historic breakthrough. Timor-Leste participates for the first time as a co-organizer, bringing all 11 ASEAN Member States together,” Li Pan said during a reception with Chinese and international journalists in Nanning on Wednesday evening.
This debut broadens ASEAN’s representation at the expo, reinforcing its status as a vital corridor for economic and trade collaboration between China and Southeast Asia.
Running under the theme “CAFTA 3.0 Opportunities, Better Life,” the 23rd CAEXPO and CABIS spotlight trade cooperation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration, and enterprise-led growth. Li explained that the landmark event also coincides with the 35th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations and the fifth anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Expanded scale and Advanced AI matching
This year’s exhibition spans 170,000 square metres, an increase of roughly 10,000 square metres from the previous edition, and hosts about 2,200 Chinese companies alongside nearly 1,000 ASEAN enterprises.
To better showcase innovation, the exhibition floor has expanded from two sections to three, featuring a dedicated new zone in Nanning focused on AI development and application. Alongside roughly 50 supporting economic and trade forums, organizers have modernized networking through an “AI + trade matching” model.
Li Pan said that through this approach, around 8,000 pairs of enterprises were pre-matched before formal business meetings even commenced. This data-driven model allows participants to pinpoint prospective partners and ventures with greater speed and accuracy than traditional floor searches.
Furthermore, organizers have introduced a framework linking small and medium-sized enterprises with industrial chain leaders to widen market access.
A new chapter for ASEAN and Timor-Leste
For the first time, the event features the ASEAN Country Demand Exhibition, pairing specific economic needs from ASEAN nations with targeted technological solutions from Chinese firms. Li noted that this mechanism bridges upstream and downstream industrial resources to drive deeper enterprise participation.
Timor-Leste’s historic debut as a co-organizer places it firmly alongside the other 10 ASEAN nations on a major international stage. The platform gives the country a vital opportunity to display its economic potential, forge cross-border partnerships, and engage in dialogue on trade, investment, and digital transformation under the umbrella of CAFTA 3.0.
Journalist: Cidalia Fátima
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
