This year, the expo is also integrated with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This encourages the sharing of new joint Asean and RCEP opportunities. Singapore has also taken a lead in this engagement with the Singapore Business Federation hosting The Singapore-China Trade and Investment Forum. This was designed to highlight opportunities and areas of cooperation to improve the trade relationship by accelerating business growth together.
In previous years, I have spoken at the China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning. It has always been an important trade expo linking businesses in China and Asean, as the name suggests.
CAEXPO has also been a significant strategic trade platform as vice-premier Zhang Gaoli used the plenary session to formally launch and explain what was then the New Silk Road programme which later became the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
