TLDR: Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, recently hosted the 13th Forum on China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation and the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO). Both events, held on September 17, 2025, underscored a strong commitment to advancing AI ethics and fostering regional cooperation in science and technology. Key initiatives include a three-year action plan by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology to enhance ASEAN’s AI capabilities and the establishment of a ‘R&D in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou + integration in Guangxi + application in ASEAN’ industrial ecosystem. The expo, themed ‘Digital Intelligence and Innovation Empower Development’, also highlighted the digital economy, led by AI, as a new driving force for collaboration.
Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region – September 17, 2025 marked a significant day for regional technological advancement as China and ASEAN nations convened for two major events: the 13th Forum on China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation and the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO). Both gatherings, held in Nanning, emphasized a collective commitment to fostering cooperation in science and technology, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and its inclusive application across various sectors.
The 13th Forum on China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation brought together senior science and technology officials from ASEAN nations, alongside academicians, experts, and business executives. Discussions centered on the ethical advancement and inclusive use of AI, aiming to translate regional sci-tech cooperation gains into tangible benefits for everyday life. A key outcome of the forum was the unveiling of a three-year action plan by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, outlining a strategic roadmap to strengthen ASEAN’s technological capabilities through AI initiatives.
Concurrently, the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) officially commenced in Nanning under the theme ‘Digital Intelligence and Innovation Empower Development — Leveraging China-Asean FTA 3.0: New Opportunities for an Even Closer China-Asean Community with a Shared Future.’ The expo is designed to inject fresh momentum into China-ASEAN cooperation, with a strong emphasis on innovation in AI and other emerging industries. Notably, this year’s expo features new pavilions dedicated to AI and new quality productive forces, alongside sections for the blue economy and premium foreign trade products.
Lu Xinning, vice chairperson of Guangxi, highlighted the significance of the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) 3.0 negotiations. “China and ASEAN have completed Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) upgrade negotiations. The Version 3.0 covers nine major areas, with the first being the digital economy, indicating that the digital economy, represented by AI, has become a new driving force for China-ASEAN cooperation,” Lu stated during a press conference on September 8.
The Nanning-Zhongguancun innovation demonstration base, a key hub in Guangxi, showcased over 110 high-tech innovations, including drones, autonomous vehicles, digital humans, smart appliances, and coffee-serving robots. Liang Ke, operational manager of Nanning ZGC Information Valley Technology Service Co, noted the strong interest from ASEAN business delegations. “Although the exhibition hall has only been open for five months, it has already hosted numerous business delegations from ASEAN members such as Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia. During their visits, these delegations have shown strong interest in China’s AI+ smart terminal products and frequently placed pre-orders,” Liang said. He further added that “Business delegations from ASEAN members have shown a particular fondness for coffee robots,” citing a $3 million order from a Vietnamese manufacturer after a visit to the exhibition hall.
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Guangxi is actively striving to foster a cross-region industrial ecosystem of ‘R&D in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou + integration in Guangxi + application in ASEAN,’ aiming to accelerate its role as an international AI cooperation hub focusing on ASEAN. This strategic initiative builds upon Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2017 inspection tour to the Nanning-Zhongguancun innovation demonstration base, where he underscored the importance of innovation in driving economic growth. Looking ahead, plans are underway to establish a China-ASEAN AI innovation cooperation center and an international AI enterprise incubator to support Chinese AI companies in ‘going global.’ The 22nd CAEXPO has attracted approximately 3,200 enterprises from 45 countries, signaling broad interest in enhanced collaboration, particularly in the burgeoning AI sector.
