Written by Liu Dake / Translated by Zhang Haiyan

T he year 2018 marks the 15thanniversary of the CAEXPO.It is well known that CAEXPO has created multiple miracles, and become a benchmarking comprehensive expo in China.Besides the wonders it made in driving construction of China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone and implementing national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative, CAEXPO also creates the “Nanning Mode” in the practice of pushing forward Expo-based overall urban construction.Furthermore, in terms of its own development,CAEXPO has become the role model of many other similar expos.

The success of CAEXPO lies in collective wisdom and great efforts of many people.With the 15thCAEXPO around the corner, every individual working hard for it will feel inf i nitely proud, and surely is willing to see the contribution he or she made.In this case, I am a lucky one.On invitation of China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, I have carried out in-depth investigations and studies on CAEXPO in recent years, and put forward many new ideas and programs.I do not know clearly how much contribution I made to the abundant achievements of CAEXPO, I feel proud already for the in-depth study I made for it.

In August 2010, I undertook the subject of “Research on Sustainable Development of Exhibition Industry in Guangxi Province” under entrustment of China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat.On the one hand, I analyzed the development conditions and opportunities for the exhibition industry in Guangxi Province from the macroscopic view; on the other hand, I systematically sorted out and summarized the development experience of CAEXPO, and devised future development strategies in a scientific way.The findings of this research have been published as the book of “Conformity and Innovation: Research on Development of the Exhibition Industry and China-ASEAN Expo”.The book won the 2012 Guangxi Outstanding Achievement Award for Philosophy and Social Science.At the 10thanniversary of CAEXPO, I started the subject of “Research on Innovation of China-ASEAN Expo” in May 2014 to better program the future development of CAEXPO.In this research, I made a panoramic planning for the “upgraded” CAEXPO from the levels of mission,business transformation, regional expansion and system innovation aiming at a series of significant policies issued in China.As the core achievements of the subject research, Mr.Zheng Junjian, the former Secretary General of China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, and I jointly published the book “New Silk Road to China-ASEAN Community of Common Future”.In addition to the two significant strategic planning projects for CAEXPO, I also provided themed training to staff of CAEXPO and carried out several professional assessments for China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition on invitation.

Owing to cooperation in those aspects, I may closely communicate with leaders and employees of China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, and fortunate in contacting large amount of documentations in deep levels.On that basis, I know CAEXPO in deeper levels.I find more answers to the question why CAEXPO can stand out from strategic expos around China.

Through follow-up studies over thees years, I find the fundamental reasons why CAEXPO may achieve great success in Nanjing, a city without obvious economic and regional advantages.Firstly, CAEXPO insists on high-end orientation and follows the mission of serving national strategies.The topic of every expo is closely related to the latest national strategy, and every expo may provide new ideas, new approaches and new platforms for the implementation of national strategies.Secondly, CAEXPO is devised scientif i cally and prepared elaborately and valuing details.In these years, I attended over 10 planning meetings in person,and experts attended are involved in fields of politics,economy, diplomacy, media and exhibition.Thirdly,a responsible, accountable and devoting team is cultivated.

I have communicated with many leaderships and staff in China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat, including Mr.Zheng Jujian, former Secretary General, Mr.Wang Lei, current Secretary General, former Deputy Secretary General Gong Qijun, and Mr.Huang Ge who is my close partner for my research.Their devotion and contribution to CAEXPO is far beyond imagination.CAEXPO may hardly acquire current brilliance and glory without their“obsessed” spirit of contribution.