By Pan Yingqiu

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CSA Expo Showcases Yunnan's Role as a Regional Trade Hub

By Pan Yingqiu

The fourth China South-Asia Expo held from June 12-17， 2016

The Fourth China-South Asia （CSA） Expo and the 24th China Kunming Import and Export Fair were held in Kunming， capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province， from June 12-17， giving Chinese and Southeast Asian businesses alike a unique chance to display products and make a push into the booming market of China-ASEAN trade.

Chen Hao， governor of Yunnan Province，said the CSA Expo is a major platform for China to improve its multilateral diplomacy， economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges with South and Southeast Asian countries， as well as the rest of the world. The expo plays an important role in promoting consumer products， the service trade， investment cooperation，tourism and cultural exchanges between China and South and Southeast Asia.

Positive Business Environment

“China's business environment is great. I plan to bring my friends and relatives to Kunming too. There are plenty of great opportunities here，” said Mokyola， a jade trader from Myanmar and expo attendee. Mokyola， who also participated in previous CSA Expos， has moved his business focus from Ruili （on the Yunnan border with Myanmar） to Kunming，the largest center of commerce nearby.

In the layout of China's Belt and Road Initiative， Yunnan Province is a major player. It is central to the construction of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar （BCIM）Economic Corridor and the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor. Business industry leaders in China are expecting much due to the province's geographical position as a link between China and the rest of the region.

China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin commented that the Belt and Road Initiative，the BCIM Economic Corridor， the Lancang-Mekong Cooperative Mechanism， the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund are all conducive to closer cooperation between South and Southeast Asian countries. The implementation of these initiatives is expected to build a community of shared future with the neighboring countries and bring tangible benefits to all in the region.

About 5，000 businesses from 89 countries and regions participated in the six-day CSA Expo this year. Around 800，000 visitors attended the products exhibition. Product sales at the expo amounted to 338 million yuan （US$52

South Asian Trade

Breaking Down the 4th China-South Asia （CSA） Expo

The expo was held at the Kunming Dianchi International Convention & Exhibition Center on June 12-17

Facts & Figures

6，339

The number of distinguished

Chinese guests who attended the expo， along with 2，076

distinguished foreign guests

5，000

The number of businesses

represented at the expo， hailing from 89 different countries and regions

$52 million

US Dollar amount of total product sales at the expo. Total visitors

reached 800，000 by the end of the six-day eventmillion）.

Source： Xinhua

At the expo， contracts were signed on 495 domestically funded projects， at a total value of 861.2 billion yuan （US$132.5 billion）， including agreements of intent. Overall contract value represented an 18.7 percent increase compared to the previous expo. Foreign trade contracts and agreements of intent totaled 158.1 billion yuan （US$24.3 billion）， a 1.2 percent increase compared to the previous expo.

Bonds for Exchanges

Over the past four years， the CSA Expo has become a shining example of Yunnan Province's potential to serve as a business leader in the region. But for other countries， too， the expo takes on a special significance. Maldives was this year's Country of Honor and Vietnam was the Guest of Honor at the Import and Export Fair.

The expo has been upgraded from a traditional sales exhibition to one offering comprehensive economic opportunities， including online trade and specific services. Liu Qilin， deputy director of the executive committee and secretary general of the expo， said that the expo now includes highly professional， market-oriented， internationalized and branded products， making breakthroughs in international production capacity cooperation and cross-border tourism.

In total， 6，339 distinguished Chinese guests and 2，076 distinguished foreign guests attended the series of events at the expo.

“Foreign guests believe that the expo has become an ideal platform for regional economic and trade exchanges， as well as cooperation，”Liu said. “They are ready to put into practice a common understanding within the region，strengthen pragmatic cooperation within the Belt and Road framework and contribute further to the development of bilateral relations.”

Wonderful Interpretation

The opening ceremony at the Guest of Honor Pavilion was held on June 12 at the Kunming Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Center. Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung jointly cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.

After the ceremony， Wang and Trinh toured the pavilion， viewing products on display and talking with participants. The pavilion staff briefed the two leaders on the pavilion's themes—food and tourism. Visitors were given the opportunity to explore the cultural attraction， folk customs and daily lives of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups.

Showcasing Vietnam's development in manufacturing in recent years， the CSA Expo devoted a special hall to manufacturing， allowing major firms a chance to display advanced technology and competitive products.

The Yunnan Provincial Government invited the CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Company， the manufacturer of Kunming's subway cars， to attend the expo. A series of the company's innovative products， including a driving simulator， debuted at the expo， attracting much curiosity. Also on display were subway cars exported to India and Malaysia，as well as low speed maglev trains used within China， energy-storing tramcars and trolleybuses.The trolleybuses' use of a super capacitor as its energy storage element was of particular interest to visitors. According to CRRC staff， this kind of trolleybus is noise-free and safer than ordinary vehicles. In addition， it has the ability to turn kinetic energy into static energy when braking，enabling resource conservation.

The Fourth CSA Expo lasted one day longer than previous ones. Five more exhibition pavilions were added， bringing the total to 17. Overall expo area was increased by 50，000 square meters to 170，000 square meters.

As the Belt and Road Initiative progresses，Yunnan plans to deepen international cooperation in energy， medicine， cultural tourism，services outsourcing and other fields. It is set to play an active role in the construction of the BCIM Economic Corridor， the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor， Lancang-Mekong cooperation and Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation.

In the future， the CSA Expo will continue to serve as a stage for people from different countries within the region to share ideas， further enhancing Yunnan's role as a regional economic center-point.