9th China-South Asia exhibition kicks off in southwestern China

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - The 9th China-South Asia Expo started in the southwestern Kunming city of China's Yunnan province on Thursday.

Representatives from 73 countries, regions, and international organizations and over 2,500 enterprises are participating in the six-day exhibition this year, according to the state news agency Xinhua.

India and Pakistan are both hosting 140 booths in the two South Asia-themed pavilions.

During the opening speech, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Yan Dong said that Beijing is "committed to high-level opening up," while expressing hope to "deepen trade and investment ties, expand cooperation in emerging sectors such as the digital economy, low-carbon development, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine."

Nearly 70% of the international exhibition’s halls are dedicated to professional sectors such as manufacturing, green energy, the coffee industry, and traditional Chinese medicine.

Regional cooperation enhancement meetings, as well as economic and trade events, have also been scheduled.

The first China-South Asia Exhibition was held in 2013. The expo, since its inception, has garnered over $110 billion in foreign trade deals.

Likewise, bilateral trade between China and South Asia reached nearly $200 billion in 2024.