Written by Tang Qi / Translated by Xie Zongming

At the 19thChina-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), the 2022 Chinese International Lighting Exhibition (CILE) made a presence for the first time, marking the debut of the China Illuminating Engineering Society (CIES) and the whole industry at the CAEXPO.More than 60 lighting enterprises participated in the CAEXPO, bringing Chinese lighting products to ASEAN countries and even the world.

Chinese lighting products stand out with strength

For a long time, Chinese lighting products have always been competitive in production, R&D, and marketing.According to Zheng Bingsong, Deputy Secretary-General of CIES, China is the world’s largest manufacturing center of electric lighting appliances,with advanced technologies in every aspect.The products have good quality and come in various categories, which allows them to meet different demands in ASEAN countries.

The visitors visibly saw China’s glare at the venue of the CILE at the 19thCAEXPO.Throughout the 4-day exhibition, a total of 63 lighting enterprises participated in the event.The blinding lights and glittering luminaires made the CILE the highlight of the CAEXPO.

From everyday home and healthy lighting to advanced smart and tourism lighting, China’s lighting industry combines all its products with technology and innovation.Guangzhou Yajiang Photoelectric Equipment was one of the exhibitors.Bringing the new Lighting of Emotion products with them, the company integrated the technology of colors, control, and their original mood lighting adjustment,which wows the visitors and other companies in this industry.

Also, Golden Lighting Smart Lighting Co., Ltd.from Jiangxi brought their product series for outdoor lighting,educational environment lighting, and home lighting that adopt the LED-only lighting technology called “Golden 1stGeneration”.It not only provides healthy lighting for nighttime but also points a direction of phosphor-free lighting solutions, which pioneers the industry in the world and is non-resourceconstrained.

Aside from the innovative products that impressed the audience, the exhibition was also displayed products with“hardcore” technology.For example,among the exhibited products of Shylon Lighting from Shanghai, there were projector lights that could mix the mono and dual color mode as well as underground lights with two-way angle adjustment.Combined with distant and close lighting, these products can illuminate a building from the bottom to the top.

As digital technology advances, China’s lighting industry will welcome its“illumination digitalization.” At this year’s CILE, Nanjing Lighting Group demonstrated its digital operation ability, digitalization ability, and user environment forming ability under the theme of “Integrated Joint Innovation to Drive Digital and Intelligent Development” and brought multiple scenarios showcasing the intelligentsensing-based solutions to the audience.With innovative ideas, various products,and practical technology at the Exhibition, China’s lighting industry is like the light of technology shining upon CAEXPO, facilitating China’s economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchange and integration with the world.It not only impressed visitors from the world but also allowed China’s lighting products to be known to more people.

CAEXPO being the beacon for cooperation

Several Chinese lighting enterprises gathered at the CAEXPO in the hope of utilizing this platform to explore the ASEAN and RCEP markets.In this regard, Zheng Bingsong said,“We want to build a bridge to the ASEAN and international market for us the companies through the strategic platform of CAEXPO, building China into a strong competitor in the world’s lighting technology arena.We wish to become more capable in this industry to illuminate the people and fulfill their wish of having a beautiful life.”

At the site of the CILE, one can feel how the CAEXPO brings confidence to Chinese enterprises.Xie Hui, General Manager of the business department of Golden Lighting Home Furnishings,said that the company wants to promote its new products and technology to the transport and medical sector, as well as the general public, of the ASEAN market through the CILE, constructing a diverse promotion platform within the region.

The Supply-Demand Matchmaking for Lighting Technology at the 19th CAEXPO grabbed the attention of many ASEAN purchasers (Source: CAEXPO Secretariat)

Meanwhile, the participating companies themselves were also well-prepared.To cover the ASEAN countries better and target the niche markets in each country, Foshan Electrical and Lighting Co., Ltd.(FSL) added solar-powered and submarine lighting product series aside from the regular products like tube lights, bulbs, downlights, and spotlights.

Many ASEAN countries are island countries with great demands for marine fishery development, which puts FSL of this year’s CILE.According to Chen Wenji, Deputy General Manager of FSL (Hainan) Technology, FSL’s submarine lighting products have good cooling and waterproof performance.Among them, the fish luring lamp series can attract fish with a particular spectrum of light, which brings convenience to the fishers and avoids the ecological damage of trawling fish.

Also, many Chinese companies not only want to bring their products to the ASEAN countries through the CAEXPO but also wish to take root in there.Cen Renxiu, General Manager of CDN Guangxi Huangdu Lighting, said that CDN’s strategy in the ASEAN market would direct its other products’ promotion in the global market.CDN Lighting would continue to respond to China’s call to build the Belt and Road by further exploring the Southeast Asian market for regional development in the lighting industry.

Let this light shine upon more opportunities

Besides the “glittering” CILE at the 19thCAEXPO,China’s lighting industry also shined upon other areas of development with the platform of CAEXPO.

To promote the foreign expansion of Chinese lighting technology, products, standard, and industry, CAEXPO also hosted 21 events, including academic fora, technology workshops, and matchmaking, deepening the exchange and cooperation with ASEAN, RCEP, and the countries along the Belt and Road and serving the high-quality development of lighting industry in China, ASEAN, and the world.

For example, many CILE participants attracted professional purchasers’ attention at the Supply-Demand Matchmaking for Lighting Technology held at the 19thCAEXPO.With more than 80 professional purchasers registered for the matchmaking event, purchasers from Thailand, Vietnam,and Singapore expressed the intention of negotiation and cooperation.Over 60 exhibitors of the CILE communicated and negotiated with more than 40 domestic and ASEAN purchasers who spoke highly of Chinese lighting technology and products and established contact and intention of cooperation with their target companies.

This year’s matchmaking is a crucial part of the CILE, for it has become a powerful exhibitor-driven platform for trade matching with professional purchasers.It is an essential measure of the CIES to allow the firms in the industry to seize the opportunities and first-mover advantage, expand the market, and enhance cooperation, which will further deepen the exchange and collaboration in the area of the lighting industry between China and ASEAN countries and further improve and upgrade the technological, economic,and trade cooperation in the industry.

Although it was the first time China’s lighting sector joined the CAEXPO, the cooperation with ASEAN in this respect started long before.One-third of ASEAN countries’imported lighting products are from China.China’s LED lighting export to the ASEAN market is increasing at an astonishing 359.28% on a year-on-year basis — much higher than the average increase rate of 68.82%.

Behind the impressive statistics are the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries in this industry.Although it is“l(fā)ights out” for the exhibition now, China’s lighting industry still shines upon the road of China-ASEAN cooperative development.