China-South Asia Expo Opens in Kunming, Spotlight on Trade and Innovation
The 9th China-South Asia Expo kicked off on Thursday in Kunming, the vibrant capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province. Bringing together representatives from 73 countries, regions, and international organizations, the expo hosts over 2,500 enterprises eager to forge new connections and explore opportunities.
Spanning six days, the event unites all South and Southeast Asian nations under one roof, featuring 16 dynamic exhibition halls. Nearly 70 percent of the space is dedicated to professional sectors like manufacturing, green energy, the coffee industry, and traditional Chinese medicine—areas ripe with potential for innovation and collaboration.
The expo shines a spotlight on South Asia with two themed pavilions boasting nearly 800 booths. India and Pakistan each showcase their offerings with 140 booths, highlighting the region’s rich diversity and business potential.
Young entrepreneurs and innovators from across the region have a chance to connect during nearly 40 scheduled economic and trade events, including forums and matchmaking meetings. These gatherings are designed to deepen regional cooperation, foster partnerships, and spark fresh ideas that could shape the future.
First launched in 2013, coinciding with the introduction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the expo has become a cornerstone event, facilitating over $110 billion in foreign trade transactions and serving more than 20,000 enterprises over the past decade.
Jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce and the Yunnan provincial government, the expo serves as a key platform to strengthen economic and trade links between China and South Asian nations. It offers a unique opportunity for young adults and businesses in the Global South to tap into emerging markets and technologies.
In 2023, trade between China and South Asian countries neared $200 billion, doubling over the past ten years with an average annual growth rate of 6.3 percent, according to official data.
At the opening ceremony, Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong emphasized China’s commitment to high-level opening up and advancing modernization through high-quality development. Yan expressed readiness to deepen trade and investment ties, expand cooperation in emerging sectors like the digital economy, low-carbon development, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine, and to jointly promote an open world economy.
For young people across the Global South, events like the China-South Asia Expo represent a gateway to new opportunities, innovation, and collaboration in a rapidly changing world.
