SFC Correspondents at China-ASEAN Expo 2025: AI in spotlight丨CBN x ASEAN Watch

(22nd China-ASEAN Expo. Photo by Sharon HU)

Stephanie:Hey everyone, and welcome to this edition of CBN x ASEAN Watch. I’m Stephanie, your host, and today we’re taking you to the ongoing China-ASEAN Expo.

Entering its 22nd edition this year, the old-line China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) for the first time set up a 10,000-square-meter pavilion dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI), underscoring the ever-expanding and deepening cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The expo opened on Wednesday in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi province in southern China. This year, it boasts an exhibition area of nearly 160,000 square meters, with over 3,200 enterprises from 60 countries participating.

Joining me today is Sharon and Jiaying, our ASEAN correspondents who are now at the very location of the expo in Nanning. Hi, Jiaying.

Jiaying:Hi, Stephanie, and hello to our listens.

Can you guess where I am now? Yes, I’m at the AI Pavilion, the absolute spotlight of this year’s China-ASEAN Expo.

The AI pavilion is the largest single-theme hall in the expo's history. It hosts nearly 200 tech firms, from industry leaders to innovative startups, showcasing about 1,200 innovative products and technologies, ranging from consumer-grade smart devices to industrial-grade solutions, forming a complete innovation chain.

Stephanie: Wow, this is so exciting! How is the AI pavilion like?

Jiaying: Of course. On opening day, the AI pavilion quickly became a major draw for visitors. I’ve been talking with some of the exhibitors, and they are very excited to be here with their latest AI products. Take a listen.

(In Chinese: Staff from InMyShow Digital Technology Group, a Guangxi-based MCN company that incubate online influencers, introduces their latest AI digital avatars that support Chinese as well as the languages used in all 10 ASEAN member countries.)

Stephanie:What are some of the “hardcore” AI products that impressed you? And how do they serve ASEAN clients?

Jiaying: Major tech giants such as Huawei, Alibaba, iFlytek, Unitree Robotics and Qi-Anxin Group are prominently featured in the AI pavilion, where they showcased their advanced products.

(iFlytek staff: We have recently launched a multilingual AI model specifically designed for the 10 ASEAN members. This model has significant enhancement in capabilities, including language understanding, machine translation, knowledge question-and-answer facilities and text generation. In 2024 we sold approximately 15,000 smart devices in ASEAN countries, generating total revenue of about 13 million yuan.)

Stephanie: Thank you, Jiaying, for bringing us the vibe of the AI pavilion.

As an important open platform for China-ASEAN cooperation, the expo has tightly embraced the new era of AI.

The theme of this year's expo, "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," highlights the role of technology in boosting bilateral trade and cooperation.

Cambodian Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth said that the theme underscores "the urgent need" for cooperation in building a region that is both prosperous and peaceful by leveraging digital technology and innovation, as well as promoting trade and investment.

At this year’s edition, ASEAN members have also been actively engaging with the expo's emphasis on AI. The AI pavilion is also presenting the latest scientific and technological achievements from many ASEAN members, including Brunei, Malaysia and Thailand.

Now let’s talk to Sharon. She’s been covering the ASEAN Zone.

Sharon:Hi Stephanie. The ASEAN Zone at the dedicated AI pavilion has been warmly welcomed by ASEAN members, including the Brunei Innovation Lab, Indonesian Telematics Society, Malaysian Global Telecom Group, Myanmar Computer Industry Association, and Thai Mitr Phol Group, which showcase smart agriculture technologies, remote communication equipment, and scientific and technological innovation projects from ASEAN countries.

For example, the Indonesian Telematics Society - a non-profit dedicated to information, communication and broadcasting technology - has showcased Indonesia's cutting-edge products. Sarwoto Atmosutarno, the organization's president, said the firm has collaborated with Chinese tech leaders like ZTE and Huawei. It now boasts 31 member units, all actively applying AI and building data centers and cloud services.

Meanwhile,Vietnam'sMinistry of Science and Technology has been organizing Vietnamese enterprises to exhibit high-tech projects at the Vietnamese Commodities Pavilion.

Stephanie: Collaboration between China and ASEAN members through platforms such as this expo is crucial for sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices in AI. This partnership not only strengthens economic ties but also promotes technological advancements that can address common challenges faced by the region.

Sharon:Exactly. With the demand for AI solutions ever increasing, the debut of these products at the expo serves as a catalyst for further cooperation and innovation, paving the way for a more integrated and technologically advanced future for both China and ASEAN.

I was talking with the Vice President of the Laos Chamber of Commerce, and he told me that Guangxi is a strategic location to implement China-ASEAN cooperation in AI.

(Vice president of Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry: This morning I had the opportunity to attend the Ministerial Roundtable on AI with high level officials from China and ASEAN. After discussion between ASEAN member countries and China, the conclusion from the China side is that Guangxi is located in very strategic location. It’s the gateway for collaboration between ASEAN and China.

I’ve also come to Guangxi many times. We work with quite a few technology companies. Every time we come, we see that Gangxi’s technology development is quite fast, because I also travel to cities in China, like Shenzhen or Shanghai, and I found that it's not too big different. We are happy to be close to Guangxi as we share similar culture, similar food, and our communication is easier and we are very happy to cooperate with the Guangxi government and Guangxi businesses for our AI development.)

Stephanie: Thanks Sharon for sharing your observations at the expo. Official data show that bilateral trade volumes have consistently risen, with China remaining ASEAN's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for the past five years.

By enhancing trade frameworks and embracing AI, China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation is set to become even more dynamic and deliver even greater win-win outcomes.

And that’s our program today. Thanks for listening and until the next time!

Editor: LI Yanxia

Host: Stephanie LI

Reporter: Sharon HU, YI Jiaying

Sound Editor: Stephanie LI

Graphic Designer: ZHENG Wenjing, LIAO Yuanni

Produced by 21st Century Business Herald Dept. of Overseas News.

Presented by SFC