1.Xi meets Lao president

Oct. 20， 2023 （Xinhua） — Xi Jinping， general secretary of the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee and Chinese president， met with Thongloun Sisoulith， general secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party （LPRP） Central Committee and Lao president， in Beijing on October 20. The two leaders inked a 2024-2028 action plan between the CPC and the LPRP on building a China-Laos community with a shared future after their meeting. During the meeting， Xi said the two sides should leverage the new five-year action plan to enrich the relations between the two parties and the two countries， and inject new impetus into regional and world peace， stability， development and prosperity.

2. Guangxi pilot FTZ at forefront of China-ASEAN cooperation

Sep. 17， 2023 （China Daily） — The 20th China-ASEAN Expo （CAEXPO） has shone the spotlight on south Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， a border region with strong ties with Southeast Asia. Guangxi has risen to the forefront of Chinas trade and cooperation with ASEAN countries in recent years， thanks to the establishment of a pilot free trade zone （FTZ） dedicated to China-ASEAN cooperation. Guangxi is often described as Chinas gateway to ASEAN countries. The regions trade with ASEAN grew from 74.75 billion yuan （about US$10 billion） in 2012 to 281.11 billion yuan in 2022.

3. China， ASEAN target institutional opening-up

Sep. 19， 2023 （China Daily） — With economic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries strengthening toward a higher level， all parties concerned are expected to embrace institutional opening-up in order to co-create a new future for regional development， officials and experts said during the ongoing China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning， capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. China has been ASEANs largest trading partner since 2009， with trade volumes increasing over the years. The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area has contributed to the expansion of trade and investment， benefiting both sides. Negotiations for ACFTA 3.0 were officially launched early this year to further liberalize and facilitate bilateral trade flows.

4. ASEAN eyes closer China ties

Sep. 20， 2023 （China Daily） — Under the theme “Work Together for A Harmonious Home and A Shared Future”， this years expo witnessed the signing of a record 470 investment cooperation projects， with the total investment amounting to 487.3 billion yuan （US$66.8 billion）， according to Xinhua News Agency. A number of new initiatives were launched during the CAEXPO and related events， including the unveiling of the China-ASEAN Prosecutorial Information Exchange Center， the Beibu Gulf （Guangxi） Mercantile Exchange Interactive Spot-Futures Trading Platform， and Chinas Manganese Ore Price Index.

5. Chongqing forum seeks cooperation in vocational training with ASEAN

Sep. 28， 2023 （China Daily）— Facing a changing manufacturing landscape and increasing demand for skilled workers， the Chinese government is calling for investment in vocational education with increasing urgency to improve the technical capabilities of its workforce. In order to fulfill its needs， China is looking to its partners in ASEAN to deepen cooperation in vocational training and create a regional development community for vocational training and economic integration. An international forum got underway in Chongqing on Wednesday， with representatives of vocational colleges and enterprises from the municipality and from the ASEAN countries of Cambodia， Malaysia， Laos， the Philippines， Thailand， and Singapore， gathering to discuss ways of working together.

6. Cambodia to see regions fastest growth

Oct. 12， 2023 （China Daily） — Cambodias economy is forecast to be the fastest-growing in the ASEAN countries， according to the latest outlook by the International Monetary Fund backed by analysts. In the World Economic Outlook published on October 10， the IMF projected that Cambodias real GDP will grow 5.6% this year and 6.1% next year， up from the 5.2% growth recorded last year. This means the kingdom is likely to become the fastest-growing economy in the 10-nation bloc for two consecutive years.The full implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Cambodia-China free trade agreement also improves competitiveness and encourages bilateral and regional trade， as well as investment diversification of Cambodia's agricultural goods.

7. China and Thailand share common economic vision

Oct. 19， 2023 （China Daily）— Government officials and business experts believe substantial development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership， together with their mutually beneficial goods trade， will enhance business ties between China and Thailand in the next stage. Benefiting from the tangible growth of the BRI and free trade deals， improved regional connectivity projects and their complementary goods trade structure， China-Thailand trade grew by 3% year-on-year to US$134.99 billion in 2022， data from Chinas General Administration of Customs showed.

8. Guangxi shining bright as bridge to ASEAN

Oct. 20， 2023 （China Daily） — With 20 years of development， South Chinas Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has become a strategic gateway between China and ASEAN countries， boosting trade ties and communication between both parties. Trade and investment between the two sides have grown despite a weak global economy. The Ministry of Commerce said China-ASEAN trade grew 16.8 fold over the past 20 years， and they have been each others largest trade partners for three years running. Two-way cumulative investment has surpassed US$380 billion.