1. Chinese FM calls for building more stable,prosperous, sustainable ties with Thailand

Sept. 24, 2022 (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met on September 23 with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, calling for building a more stable, prosperous, and sustainable future for bilateral relations. This year marks the 10thanniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. The two sides agreed to speed up the institutional connectivity of customs clearance for logistics passing through the China-Laos-Thailand railway as well as the physical connectivity of infrastructure, thus injecting strong impetus into bilateral practical cooperation and regional connectivity.

2. China-Malaysia trade set to boom as RCEP goes into high gear

Sept. 12, 2022 (Xinhua) — Bilateral trade between China and Malaysia is expected to boom as the RCEP will streamline and harmonize various aspects of the business relationship between the two countries, a Malaysian official said. RCEP provides a strategic platform for businesses to collaborate and this will allow closer economic integration through lower tariffs, stronger logistics connectivity, and a more robust trade ecosystem in the region. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalization has become one of the important elements in competitiveness for business communities. The pandemic has accelerated the need for everyone to embrace and adopt digitalization in various aspects.

3. Cambodia calls for stronger regional ties

Sept. 13, 2022 (China Daily) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen called for enhanced cooperation among countries in the region to achieve a sustainable economic recovery in a speech delivered at a forum where experts also highlighted the benefits of green and digital transitions. With geopolitical tensions rising, Hun Sen said the members of the ASEAN must be united and strengthen their partnerships in line with the bloc’s theme of “ASEAN A.C.T.: Addressing Challenges Together”, set by Cambodia as the chair of ASEAN in 2022. “Existing challenges cannot stop ASEAN from moving forward,” said Pan Sorasak, Cambodian Minister of Commerce.

4. ASEAN Media Partners Forum boosts cooperation

Sept. 16, 2022 (China Daily) — The 2022 ASEAN Media Partners Forum, co-sponsored by the Central Radio and Television Administration and the government of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was held in Nanning, Guangxi.Nearly 180 Chinese and foreign guests from more than 70 media organizations and institutions in 17 countries engaged in a dialogue themed “Wisdom, Integration, Gathering”.During the opening ceremony, China Media Group and ASEAN media organizations reached new consensus on cooperation. The China-ASEAN media port will be built as a base of the media industry chain for ASEAN and form a new platform for regional international communication.

5. 19th China-ASEAN Expo concludes with record deals

Sept. 19, 2022 (Xinhua) — The 19thChina-ASEAN Expo concluded in Nanning with a record number of deals made. A total of 267 domestic and international deals have been signed, with an investment of over 400 billion yuan (US$ 57 billion), up 37% compared to last year,said Wei Zhaohui, the secretary-general of the expo’s secretariat. Covering 102,000 square meters, this year’s expo attracted 1,653 enterprises from 40 countries,with 5,400 exhibition booths set up. The exhibition hall saw about 25,600 visits per day on average, up 19.2%

6. China-ASEAN forum produces deals worth billions

Sept. 19, 2022 (Xinhua) — 32 projects worth over 10 billion yuan (US$ 1.43 billion) were inked at the fifth China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum, which was held in Nanning. The projects, covering a variety of fields such as digital economy,cross-border trade, and Internet of Things, will help promote both the construction of a China-ASEAN information port and the region’s digital economy. According to the organizers,enterprises which signed deals come from various countries including Cambodia, Singapore, and Vietnam, as well as provincial-level regions in China such as Beijing, Shanghai,and Guangdong. Attended by about 200 government officials,business leaders, and experts, the forum focused on topics including 5G applications, artificial intelligence, and metaverse.

7. Blue economy spurs hope in Indonesia

Sept. 20, 2022 (China Daily) — Indonesia can serve as a model for the development of the blue economy by showcasing how its vast marine resources can be used to lead a sustainable economic recovery, analysts said. This is even more crucial as the country this year holds the presidency of the Group of 20 nations, with a leaders summit in November. Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning hosted a G20 side event earlier this month to present the nation’s Blue Economy Roadmap. Indonesia is encouraging fellow G20 countries to support joint action in prioritizing low-carbon green and blue economic development.

8. China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition kicks off in Guilin

Sept. 21, 2022 (China Daily) — The 2022 China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition kicked off in Guilin, in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on September 19.Initiated in 2015, the annual event is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the government of the autonomous region. This year’s tourism exhibition,with the theme of “sharing new opportunities of the RCEP and working together for new development in culture and tourism”, will boost exchange and cooperation in the tourism sector among RCEP member states and facilitate the autonomous region’s endeavor to turn Guangxi into a global tourist destination and Guilin a global tourist city.