NANNING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo is scheduled to be held in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 17 to 21, with all preparatory work entering the final phase.

This year's expo features an upgraded ASEAN exhibition zone covering around 20,000 square meters, with comprehensive improvements in exhibition product structure, scale of participating countries and industrial cooperation levels, showcasing new achievements of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, according to the expo secretariat.

Diversified and high-value exhibits will be on display across the ASEAN zone. Beyond traditional consumer goods, participating countries will showcase cutting-edge products in artificial intelligence (AI), green energy and other high-tech fields.

Timor-Leste will make its first appearance at the expo's commodity pavilion as a formal ASEAN member state, further advancing its integration into the ASEAN community.

As the themed country of this year's expo, the Philippines has seen 44 registered enterprises covering food, home fashion, personal care, tourism and financial services. Notably, A Philippine AI startup will debut at the event, highlighting the expo's AI-focused features.

The upcoming expo will further enhance service quality, connect high-quality ASEAN products with China's enormous consumer market, and continue to inject new impetus into regional trade and economic prosperity, the organizers said.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Economic and trade links have maintained upward momentum following the formal signing of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, with bilateral trade topping 1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2025. China and ASEAN have remained each other's largest trading partners for six years running. ■