Chinese President Xi Jinping will address the opening ceremony of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on Friday via video, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday.

The annual expo and the business and investment summit between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be held in Nanning, the capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hua said.

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, will attend the opening ceremony.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on the same day told a daily news briefing that China has always regarded ASEAN as a priority in its diplomacy with neighboring countries. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and ASEAN members have worked together to overcome difficulties and fight the pandemic, and have actively promoted economic recovery.

China will hold the annual expo and business and investment summit as scheduled, and President Xi will make a video speech, fully demonstrating China's determination to uphold higher-level opening up and continue to promote China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, said Zhao.

China will unswervingly deepen reform and opening up and build a new development pattern, during which ASEAN members will be the first to benefit, Zhao said, adding that China is willing to use this expo to deepen economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN, promote their ties to a new high, and make breakthroughs in regional economic integration.