The 15th China-Northeast Asia Expo is gearing up to open its doors from August 27 to 31, 2025, in Changchun, the bustling capital of northeast China’s Jilin Province. This announcement came from the Ministry of Commerce during a press conference on Tuesday.
Under the theme “Joining Hands in Northeast Asia for a Shared Future Through Openness,” the expo aims to strengthen bonds among neighboring countries. Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong emphasized the significance of this event, highlighting how Northeast Asian nations share close geographical ties, rich cultural connections, and strong commercial relationships.
“Our countries have complementary strengths and vast potential for economic cooperation,” Yan said. “This expo is a platform to deepen practical cooperation across various fields.”
The numbers speak volumes. In 2024, trade between China and its five Northeast Asian neighbors—the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, Russia, and Mongolia—soared to $901.6 billion. This marks a 1.6% increase from the previous year and represents nearly 15% of China’s total foreign trade.
China continues to be the largest trading partner for these countries, with the ROK and Japan ranking as China’s second and third-largest trading partners, respectively. Two-way investment surpassed $7 billion in 2024, expanding into cutting-edge sectors like the digital economy, green development, advanced manufacturing, and modern services.
Yang Andi, vice governor of Jilin Province, shared more exciting news: the expo will welcome over 8,000 business representatives from 42 countries and regions worldwide, along with participants from 27 provincial-level regions across China. “We’ve already confirmed 2,796 exhibition booths, filling about 80% of the exhibition space,” Yang noted.
A highlight of this year’s expo is the debut of the modern industries pavilion. This showcase will feature leading companies, including Fortune 500 giants, focusing on the transformation of traditional industries through smart and green technologies, innovations in new productive forces, and the development of collaborative ecosystems.
Li Xingqian, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, emphasized the council’s role in fostering deeper integration of industrial and supply chains among Northeast Asian countries. “In the first half of this year, we supported over 115 exhibition projects in Northeast Asian countries, involving more than 4,000 Chinese enterprises,” Li said.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the expo is co-organized by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the Jilin provincial government. It stands as the world’s only comprehensive international expo jointly attended by all six Northeast Asian countries and open to global participants.
“We aim to use the expo as an opportunity to build consensus, expand cooperation, and promote common development between China and Northeast Asian countries,” Yan Dong concluded.
