The ongoing 22nd edition of the China-ASEAN Expo, which opened on Wednesday in Nanning in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, marks not just another milestone in the long-standing partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but also a renewed pledge to promote shared prosperity in the region.

In his keynote address at the opening ceremony, Vice-President Han Zheng highlighted the vitality and resilience of China-ASEAN cooperation, underscoring the complementarity between their economies, and their cultural bonds and common commitment to multilateralism and free trade. This complementarity is not static but has evolved in step with global changes and the domestic development of both sides.

As Han emphasized, China-ASEAN trade has grown not only in scale but also in quality. What once revolved around raw materials, agricultural products and daily necessities has steadily shifted toward high-tech, green and digital products. China's industrial base and technological prowess align with ASEAN's consumer markets, resources and labor force. This reflects both sides' determination to embrace innovation-driven growth and sustainable development. The expansion of trade categories also demonstrates the confidence that China and ASEAN have in each other's markets and development trajectories. In this sense, China-ASEAN economic relations are not just transactional — they are transformational.

Moreover, connectivity has emerged as a defining feature of this cooperation. Projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, coupled with ASEAN's own connectivity master plan, have knitted together roads, railways and ports, enabling the smooth flow of goods and ideas. At the same time, institutional connectivity — ranging from trade facilitation measures to standards harmonization — has created a more enabling environment for businesses and investors. These combined efforts are laying the groundwork for the establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, which heralds higher levels of openness, inclusivity and mutual benefit.

This partnership is not merely a matter of economics; it reflects a shared longing for peace, stability and development. As close neighbors with intertwined histories and cultures, China and ASEAN understand the stakes in maintaining regional harmony. Their cooperation provides a strong counterforce to the increasing duress of protectionism and geopolitical rivalry from elsewhere. Both sides uphold free trade, defend the international rules-based order and advocate multilateralism as an effective way to resolve disputes and advance global development.

ASEAN is a priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy. As Vice-President Han underscored, the country regards it as a key partner in building a community with a shared future for humanity. This is backed up by its concrete actions to promote trade, investment and cultural exchanges, as well as the two sides' joint efforts to tackle pressing challenges such as climate change and digital transformation.

Indeed, the transformation of China-ASEAN economic cooperation over the past decades has created the necessary conditions for a high-quality free trade arrangement. The proposed Free Trade Area 3.0 will not only lower tariffs and reduce barriers but also expand cooperation into emerging fields such as the green economy, digital economy and supply chain resilience. This reflects the forward-looking nature of the China-ASEAN economic partnership, which seeks not only to adapt to the times but to build together a future defined by openness and inclusivity.

The expo demonstrates once again that China-ASEAN cooperation is built on the foundations of trust, complementarity and shared aspirations. It also serves as a reminder that the vitality of this partnership comes from its ability to grow with the times — expanding from goods to services, from physical to digital connectivity, and from bilateral initiatives to broader regional integration.

In a world increasingly beset by uncertainties, the China-ASEAN partnership stands as a reference for how neighbors can join hands for common development while safeguarding regional peace. It is this spirit of cooperation, as Vice-President Han stressed, that will propel the China-ASEAN relationship to a brighter future, bringing tangible benefits not only to the two sides but to the wider international community.