Daily Times

Polished rosewood furniture, elegant jade ornaments, figured brass wares…On the first day of the 21st China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the dazzling array of specialties in the Pakistan Pavilion catches the eyes of visitors from the globe.

“We are so honored to participate in the CAEXPO, a high-level platform connecting all parts of the world, which allows our traditional products to enter thousands of households in China.” said Muhammad Kamil, Managing Director of Pak Link Enterprises, who has been exploring in the Chinese market for many years.

He told China Economic Net that he would further promote more types of local specialty products in the Chinese market to let more people fall in love with “Made in Pakistan.

“Pakistani furniture is elaborately crafted by our most skilled craftsmen; the saffron from the northern region is sought after in China’s high-end culinary market, as well as our jade and brass handicrafts, as a cultural heritage passed down for centuries, can add a touch of color to the homes of our friends around the world, including in China,” Kamil introduced.

Every year, the CAEXPO is bustling with activities across all exhibition sections.

The most lively and attention-grabbing zones, however, are undoubtedly the ASEAN Pavilions, Exhibition of Products from RCEP Countries and the Belt and Road International Pavilion, which feature unique and high-quality products from different countries and regions.

In addition to Pakistani crafts, durians from Southeast Asia were among the most popular products.

Many booths featuring durian and durian-based products were packed with people. Especially in demand were Malaysia’s White Coffee of Musang King flavor, durian pastries, and durian egg rolls, which were highly sought after by Chinese buyers and achieved significant sales success.

“The CAEXPO has made ‘durian freedom’ possible,” a visitor, who is a long-time fan of durians noted. In addition to durians, rice from Cambodia, rambutans from Indonesia, and bananas from the Philippines were also showcased, allowing visitors to experience the unique charm of different cultures.

The Belt and Road International Pavilion, which debuted at the 14th CAEXPO, has now become one of the most popular destinations.

Pakistani gemstones, African handicrafts, Russian snacks and candies, Nepalese Thangka paintings, Polish amber jewelry, and Iranian home decor items were all highly sought-after, often drawing large crowds around the booths.

As an important platform driving economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, the CAEXPO, attracting 1.3 million exhibitors and visitors in the past 20 years, has enabled more and more enterprises to ride in the express train of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Since the first CAEXPO, China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation has been upgraded continuously.

In the first half of 2024, the total trade value between China and ASEAN reached 3.36 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.5%.

Over the same period, China’s total import and export value with Belt and Road countries reached 10.03 trillion yuan, up by 7.2%.