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TOP NEWS | 要闻

“I have participated in the expo five times. We mainly
export handicrafts to China, which are very popular. The expo
provides us an excellent opportunity to display our goods di-
rectly to Chinese customers and purchasers,” Imran, a Pakistani
th
merchant said during the 8 China-South Asia Exposition (CSA
Expo) and the 28 China Kunming Import and Export Fair.
th
This year’s expo lasts from July 23 to 28, with its 15 pavil-
ions covering 150,000 square meters. For the first time, the CSA
expo establishes a comprehensive service zone for international
trade and some pavilions are titled by specific products.
“Through the CSA expo, we hope more exhibits could be
turned into commodities for trade development, more buyers
could become investors for industrial growth, Yunnan sights
could be visited by more international tourists, and neighbors
could become bosom friends in cultural exchanges,” said Wang
Ning, Yunnan Party secretary.
More than 2,000 exhibitors from 82 countries, regions and
international organizations participated in the expo. Nearly half
of the exhibitors are companies from South and Southeast Asia.
The associated cumulative foreign trade turnover has sur-
passed $100 billion, with more than 3,000 projects signed and
established during the expo.
Pakistan is the country of guest of honor this year, with a
360-square-meter exhibition area designed to showcase its na-
tional heritage. The exhibits include agricultural and handcrafted
products.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has notably facili-
tated bilateral trade, for example, it has reduced the transit time
of our products from 50 days by sea to just 15 days via land, Im-
ran added. “In the future, I expect train lines can be built in the
corridor, which could cut the transportation time more.”
Beyond Pakistan, South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka,
Nepal and India have also sent delegations to the expo.
Devika Mendis, a commercial research officer from the Sri
Lankan delegation, said that the expo has been very beneficial
for Sri Lanka, especially for small and medium-sized enterpris-
es. New companies often lack the experiences to expand inter-
nationally due to the high cost of trade fairs in other countries.
The expo brings Sri Lankan companies with exhibition opportu-
nities.
China has continuously strengthened pragmatic economic
and trade cooperation with Sri Lanka since the proposal of the
Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. Last year, China’s trade with
South Asian countries doubled to nearly $200 billion compared
with 2013, cementing China’s role as the top trade partner for
most South Asian countries and facilitating their products’ ac-
cess to the huge Chinese market, the Chinese Ministry of Com-
merce said.
The expo also attracts a growing number of Southeast
Asian exhibitors, reflecting deeper integration under the Region-
al Comprehensive Economic Partnership and expanding bilater-
al trade with countries like Malaysia and Laos.
“We hope to further promote trade between Laos and Chi-
na, and highlight Lao products, particularly agricultural goods,”
said Thanousone Phonamat, a vice president of the Lao National
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The expo was first held in Kunming in 2013, the same year
China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. Since its incep-
tion, it has served more than 18,000 domestic and foreign com-
panies, promoted trade of more than 100 billion U.S. dollars,
and facilitated the signing of over 3,000 projects.
Official data shows that trade volume between China and
South Asian countries reached nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars in
2023, twice the amount recorded in 2013.

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