22 years， same gates， new stories

摘要：The 22nd edition, with an exhibition area of 160,000 square meters packed with 3,200 firms from 60 countries, felt like a familiar

Though the hibiscus-shaped roofline still stretches into the September sky, the faces beneath it continue to change.

This is my eighth autumn at the gates of the China-ASEAN Expo. Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region -- the only provincial-level region in China that shares both land and sea borders with ASEAN -- has been the permanent host city of the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) since 2004.

The 22nd edition, with an exhibition area of 160,000 square meters packed with 3,200 firms from 60 countries, felt like a familiar tune played at a faster pace.

Walking inside, the aromas of durian and freshly ground coffee hit me before the crowds did, reminding me that some things remain constant even as everything else accelerates.

The words of my colleague, Zhang Fan, suddenly popped into my head. As a journalist who has covered more than 20 sessions of the expo, he said that among all the exhibits, the constants are always ordinary items like rosewood furniture or coffee, and they represent the bustling people-to-people exchange environment between China and ASEAN countries.

Since 2018, I have been with him on this journey.

At Pakistan's jewelry booth, I met Ahmed Shakeeb once again, who was displaying the natural amber jewelry he has sold here at eight expos.

"I come every year. Besides CAEXPO, I also participate in exhibitions such as the China-South Asia Expo. Many Chinese customers have become old friends, and they often place orders on WeChat," he said.

At the Brunei booth, Nur Liyana had returned with Barramundi Group's signature frozen fish products. Already popular in Singapore and the Republic of Korea, the group now hopes to tap further into the huge Chinese market.

Chinese companies are also looking for new cooperation possibilities in our neighboring countries.

The China Energy Engineering Corporation has attended every session since the inaugural expo. According to Zeng Yun, assistant general manager of the company's regional headquarters in southern China, its participation is part of a broader strategy to deepen regional energy cooperation and expand its presence in ASEAN markets.

"We now have 77 branches and over 4,400 employees in ASEAN countries," he said.

For over two decades, the expo has continued to evolve as China and ASEAN deepen ties and expand cooperation areas.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the highlight of this year's expo. Attending an AI expert salon, I was delightfully surprised to see representatives of many of China's leading AI companies.

Li Jun, a first-time attendee representing Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics, told me that the company has brought humanoid robots capable of boxing and dancing to show at the event, as well as exploration robots designed for hazardous environments.

He noted that the expo is a unique opportunity to introduce high-tech products to ASEAN markets, as digital cooperation is thought to be the next focus for cooperation within the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area -- the largest free trade zone among developing countries.

I see CAEXPO as something that is memorable for more than its booths and products; It is also a treasured chapter in the lives of the many workers who keep it running.

Li Qiaoping, a teacher who has provided professional interpretation services over countless sessions, now sees her former students doing the same. Isn't this, in itself, a testament to the close exchange environment between China and ASEAN?

For over two decades, Li has used language to build bridges, and for her, the expo is "a platform for economic exchange and a window to share China's stories with the world." And it is the same for me.

Source: Xinhua