The 16th China-ASEAN Expo, running from Sept 21 to 24 in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, will feature new exhibitions compared to previous sessions, said a local official in charge of the event.

Wang Lei, secretary-general of the Secretariat of China-ASEAN Expo, said this year's event will feature five new highlights - a new vision, new hot issues, new business opportunities, new influences and new experiences.

Focusing on the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030, a key document approved at the 21st China-ASEAN leaders' meeting held in Singapore in November 2018, a range of high-level exchange activities will be held during this year's China-ASEAN Expo.

Wang said industries prioritized by the Vision 2030, such as trade, investment, industrial capacity cooperation, digital technologies, finance, e-commerce and tourism, will also be highlighted at the expo.

Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is the permanent host city of the China-ASEAN Expo. [Photo by Wu Zhiyong / For China Daily]

The new hot issues to be discussed during the expo will include the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone, further opening-up of China's financial sector, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the China-ASEAN Information Harbor.

The China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone is among the latest free trade zones in the country, as its general plan was approved by the State Council on Aug 26.

The 120-square-kilometer zone covering areas in Nanning, Qinzhou and Chongzuo will offer a new driver for Guangxi's opening-up and create new opportunities for business.

To present the business opportunities in China and the 10 ASEAN members, there will be more than 80 trade and investment promotion events at the expo, according to Wang.

He added that a development report on the China-ASEAN industrial parks will be released at the expo, helping investors identify their priority fields and ideal destinations for investment.

Wang noted this year's expo will further extend its influence with several events scheduled for the media industry in China and ASEAN members.

With the application of new information and digital technologies, Wang said this year's event is set to offer new experiences to visitors.

He said the new venue for exhibitions, the Guangxi Agricultural Convention and Exhibition Center, will be equipped with more digital facilities.

New applications to be used at the venue include an online trade and investment matching system and a WeChat app to help exhibitors and visitors to register and search for event information.

Wang said this year's event is not limited to the China-ASEAN category, but covers a range of countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

For instance, Poland is invited to be the special partner of the event.

Wang said the host region of Guangxi expects to use this event to display its achievements in its reform and opening-up and opportunities in trade and investment.

"We hope the China-ASEAN Expo will become a platform not only for business cooperation, but also for cultural and people-to-people exchanges," Wang said.

He predicted the expo will become a more professional and internationalized platform in the near future, as the organizers are drafting a new five-year plan to upgrade the event.