A key three-day online China (Guangxi)-Japan trade fair kicked off simultaneously on Nov 18 in Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and in Osaka, Japan.

According to Nanning officials it will help companies in both countries secure more business and development. 

Sun Shuqiang, director for economic and commerce at the Chinese consulate general in Osaka, said that the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade agreement in Beijing on Nov 15 was a big event in regional cooperation in East Asia and would inject new vitality into global economic development.

Sun said that Guangxi was rich in natural resources and was also an important channel connecting Chinese and markets in the ASEAN bloc of countries. He urged Japan to take note of his region's advantages in its geographic location and take an active part in the upcoming 17th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) online.

Diao Weihong, deputy director of the Guangxi Commerce Department, said that 44 leading manufacturers of food and agricultural products were attending the trade fair, showcasing the region's distinctive products such as tea, fruit, spices, wine, soybean products and pre-packaged snail noodles.

Commerce and trade between Guangxi and Japan has been strong, with the value of exports and imports hitting $741 million in the first eight months of 2020 despite the novel coronavirus outbreak, up 18.2 percent on the same period last year.