The South China International Expo promotes cooperation between China and South and Southeast Asian countries

Unity and collaboration for common development
The South China International Expo promotes cooperation between China and South and Southeast Asian countries
From August 16th to 20th, the 7th China South Asia Expo (hereinafter referred to as the "South Asia Expo") will be held in Kunming, Yunnan Province. This is the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic that the South China International Fair has been fully resumed offline. The theme of this year's South China International Expo is "Unity and Cooperation, Seeking Common Development", with a total of 15 pavilions and 14 in-session activities to achieve full coverage of South Asia, Southeast Asian countries, and member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP).
The South China International Expo has been permanently settled in Kunming since its first session in 2013. After years of development, the South China International Fair has become an important platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and South and Southeast Asian countries, as well as an important window for local economic and trade cooperation with neighboring countries. With the help of the South China Expo platform, China will further strengthen its exchanges and cooperation with countries in South and Southeast Asia.
Expand economic and trade exchanges, promote smooth trade

Recently, 24 human resources enterprises have settled in the China (Yunnan) Pilot Free Trade Zone International Trade Enterprise Cluster Park, which is very lively. Chang Jixing, Director of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Guandu District, Kunming City, runs to the International Trade Enterprise Cluster Park every day. He said, "International trade is getting bigger and bigger, and foreign trade talents need to plan ahead

Our jewelry and jade need exhibition venues to open up the Chinese market. Can we meet this requirement here? "" Our black tea wants to be sold in China. Is there any company willing to act as an agent for us? "Two days ago, a Sri Lankan business delegation visited the International Trade Enterprise Cluster Park in advance and repeatedly raised questions with Fang Jian, the person in charge of the International Trade Enterprise Cluster Park. When experiencing online live streaming, the rich ethnic room layout, brand new live streaming rooms, and advanced equipment make Sri Lankan business delegation staff give thumbs up: "The South China International Expo is not only a stage for product display, but also a platform for us to make friends with Chinese foreign trade companies
On August 4th, the first batch of 59 exhibits at this year's South China International Expo were placed in the exhibition hall under the supervision of customs staff at the Kunming Post Office under the jurisdiction of Kunming Customs. The exhibits of this year's South China International Expo are all declared using a national integrated customs clearance method, which reduces logistics costs for enterprises and ensures fast customs clearance and timely participation of exhibits, "said Fu Yu, customs declaration manager of Yunnan Tongyi International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd.
When the first South Asian Expo was held in 2013, the total trade volume between China and South Asian countries was less than 100 billion US dollars. In 2022, the total trade volume between China and South Asia was close to 200 billion US dollars, with an average annual growth rate of 8.3% over the past decade. China has become the largest trading partner of countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Maldives for many consecutive years. South Asian countries' seafood, tea, nuts, and other products are deeply loved by Chinese consumers, and their exports to China are constantly increasing.
Not only foreign manufacturers, but also local governments and enterprises in China are working hard to prepare for the exhibition. At this year's South China Expo, Lincang City, Yunnan Province will focus on promoting the new China Myanmar Indian Ocean channel. The city has now achieved a logistics layout form of 72 hours of road arrival from Mengding Qingshuihe Port to Yangon Port in Myanmar, and 72 hours of railway arrival from Chengdu; Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, will comprehensively showcase new projects, products, formats, and images of the cultural tourism industry by combining intangible cultural heritage projects, high-quality tourism resources, and cultural and creative products; IFLYTEK Technology Co., Ltd. has brought cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies such as iFLYTEK Spark Cognitive Big Model, intelligent medical assistants, and digital employees to the Digital Economy Museum, showcasing the core capabilities of the big model and the latest application achievements in fields such as education, healthcare, office, and industry.
Improving Infrastructure Level and Promoting Connectivity
In January 2018, representatives from China and Sri Lanka jointly pressed the start button, and the Molag Hakanda Dam was officially completed and delivered. This dam, constructed by China Water Resources and Hydropower 14th Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd., is the largest water conservancy hub project in Sri Lanka.
Before the dam was built, there was a power outage here every three to five times. "Local villager Samuel lives downstream of the reservoir, and every year during the rainy season, his family's fields are flooded, seriously affecting crop yields. When the harvest was good, due to frequent power outages, he had to rely on donkeys to grind the surface. On the day of completion and delivery of the dam, Seymour was preparing to cut rice in the field. When he heard the radio notification that the power supply was about to stabilize, he immediately went to buy an electric flour grinder.
Stable power supply has made my business prosperous! "Samuel said happily. Now, he has bought a motorcycle and his home is equipped with a phone and internet. This is a microcosm of China's investment driving the development of South Asia. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce of China, as of July this year, China has invested nearly 15 billion US dollars in the South Asian region, with a completed engineering contract turnover exceeding 200 billion US dollars.
China has not only brought improvements in infrastructure to South and Southeast Asian countries, but also helped cultivate local operation and management talents. More than two years ago, Laotian Solid passed the strict examination of Chinese railway technical standards and became one of the first Laotian train drivers of the China Laos Railway. In the "one-on-one" pairing teaching, he not only learned business skills and safe driving experience from Chinese master Fan Rong, but also formed a deep friendship with his master.
Solid still remembers the first time he walked into the train control room. "The train was moving too fast, and I had never felt such a speed before." Solid said that after the opening of the China Laos Railway, the journey from his hometown Boten to Vientiane was shortened from more than 20 hours to three or four hours.
Railway transportation is becoming increasingly convenient, and comprehensive transportation networks such as aviation are also running smoothly. In order to welcome customers from the South China International Fair and further strengthen exchanges between China and South and Southeast Asian countries, China Eastern Airlines has opened a new route from Kunming to Kathmandu, and has encrypted routes from Kunming to Bangkok and Colombo. Sri Lankan gemstone merchant Mano shared this information with other exhibitors as soon as he saw the relevant information online.
China and South Asian countries account for 1/5 of the global economic total, making it one of the fastest growing and most dynamic regions in the world. Trade and investment are active, and the potential for cooperation is constantly being unleashed. Under the framework of the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", the China Pakistan Economic Corridor project has been steadily advancing. Hambantota Port and Gwadar Port have driven the upgrading of their domestic industries. Cooperation projects such as the reconstruction and expansion of Nepal Pokhara International Airport and Maldives Male International Airport have achieved results. China is making tangible contributions to the development of South Asian countries and regional connectivity.
Deepening Folklore Friendship and Promoting Mutual Understanding among the People
This year is the fifth year for Nepalese girl Kong Jie to come to Dali, Yunnan. Five years ago, she came to Dali University to study clinical medicine. In the past 5 years, although she has only returned to her hometown once, she has felt the warmth of home in China. At the Student Union of Dali University, Kong Jie became good friends with many Chinese students. From initially using Chinese mixed with English and even using body language for communication, to now being able to shop and travel fluently in Chinese, Kong Jie's life in Dali is very comfortable.
According to statistics, 46 universities in Yunnan have established cooperative relationships with educational institutions in 62 countries and regions, and established 11 international talent training bases. The maximum number of international students going to Yunnan exceeds 40000. Li Chenyang, Director of the Department of Commerce of Yunnan Province, introduced that Yunnan promotes people-to-people communication through scientific and cultural exchanges. By organizing and holding the Yunnan International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and implementing the "Smart Yunnan" plan, Yunnan has widely attracted young scientific and technological talents from South Asian countries to come and start businesses in Yunnan; Taking the lead in carrying out the work of international science and technology special envoys nationwide, 31 international science and technology special envoys were selected in 6 batches to carry out science and technology services in South Asian countries.
Huang Fubo, the head of Yunnan Huangwei Media Co., Ltd., is currently busy introducing Chinese TV dramas to South Asia. In 2017, Huang Fubo went to Bangladesh to participate in exchange activities, and as soon as he returned home, he began translating the TV drama "The Wind and Cloud of Mufu". In order to translate the TV series into authentic Bengali, Huangfubo specifically invited Dr. Mousadi from Bangladesh. After being broadcasted on Bangladeshi television, "Mufu Fengyun" achieved remarkable results. With the help of Moussadi, Huangwei Media continued to translate the TV drama "Golden Wedding" in 2018, which was highly welcomed by local audiences. Nowadays, Moussadi has become the principal of a Chinese language school in Bangladesh, continuously contributing to the promotion of civil friendship between China and Bangladesh.
Whether facing natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, or global challenges such as the international financial crisis and the COVID-19, China and South Asian countries firmly stand together to help each other and overcome difficulties. Nowadays, Yunnan has established 11 multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms with South and Southeast Asian countries, and the number of navigable cities with South and Southeast Asian countries ranks first in the country.
This year's South China International Expo will hold activities such as the "South Asian Tea Festival" and the "Yunguang" South China International Expo for South Asian students for the first time. I heard that the 7th South China International Expo is about to be held in Kunming, and Kong Jie really wanted to visit the site. "I regard China as my second hometown, and I want to better understand Chinese culture and development," he said