Guangxi, ASEAN Business Leaders Deepen Trade and Investment Cooperation as FTA 3.0 Takes Shape

Summary

About 250 delegates gathered in Nanning on 16 September 2026 for the 2026 China (Guangxi)–ASEAN Business Cooperation Exchange, a key trade and investment side event of the 23rd China–ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. Those attending included heads of chambers of commerce, associations and companies from Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand and Uzbekistan, alongside leaders of provincial, regional and municipal trade promotion councils and business representatives from across China. The exchange was co-hosted by CCPIT Guangxi, the Qinzhou Municipal People's Government and Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank.

Held under the theme 'Deepening ASEAN Business Cooperation, Sharing New Opportunities in 3.0 Development', it was designed to connect participants with the policy benefits flowing from Version 3.0 of the China–ASEAN Free Trade Area. Yang Yanyan, president of CCPIT Guangxi and secretary-general of the secretariat of the China–ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, said in her address that with the Pinglu Canal open to navigation and construction of FTA 3.0 continuing, Guangxi was ready to work with trade promotion agencies nationwide and with ASEAN business circles, using the canal as a link, to deepen trade and investment flows. She pointed to cooperation in computing power sharing, standards alignment, technology connectivity, cross-border data flows, cross-border e-commerce and offshore digital services.

Eight investment cooperation and trade procurement projects were signed, with a combined value of more than RMB 700 million. CCPIT offices in eight cities — Nanning, Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, Beihai and four others — signed the Framework Agreement on Trade and Investment Cooperation among Trade Promotion Agencies of Core Cities in the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt. The exchange also helped Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank establish strategic partnerships with Guangxi business associations in ASEAN countries including Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.

Qinzhou presented the outlook for openness and cooperation in the Pinglu Canal economic belt. Awards were presented for the 2026 China (Guangxi)–ASEAN University Student Digital Economy and Artificial Intelligence Application Innovation Invitational Competition, launched in Malaysia in April 2026 and run over six months.

Commentary

The 2026 China (Guangxi)–ASEAN Business Cooperation Exchange centred on FTA 3.0 and the opening of the Pinglu Canal. With more than RMB 700 million signed and digital trade and cross-border logistics emerging as the key themes, that matters for New Zealand small and medium-sized business owners. On one side of the ledger, FTA 3.0 lowers barriers for ASEAN agricultural products entering China.

Fruit and processed food from Vietnam and Thailand will compete harder against New Zealand dairy and meat in some segments. The Pinglu Canal cuts the distance southwestern Chinese cargo must travel to reach the sea, and Guangxi's rise as a logistics hub for ASEAN trade could reshape regional supply chains, giving ASEAN goods a cost advantage when moving into China's interior. On the other, the exchange explicitly promoted cross-border e-commerce, offshore digital services and standards alignment.

New Zealand firms in agri-tech, digital services and premium food could use Guangxi's bonded warehouses and digital platforms to reach southwestern China and ASEAN markets, reducing reliance on any single destination. The signing of a cooperation framework by CCPIT offices in eight cities across the Pinglu Canal economic belt shows regional coordination is becoming institutionalised. New Zealand companies should assess whether Guangxi belongs in their Asia market entry strategy, rather than treating China solely as an isolated bilateral market.

Keywords: China–ASEAN Free Trade Area Version 3.0, China (Guangxi)–ASEAN Business Cooperation Exchange, Pinglu Canal economic belt, CCPIT Guangxi, Yang Yanyan, 23rd China–ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, cross-border financial cooperation, digital economy and artificial intelligence, project signings of more than RMB 700 million

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

2026年9月16日，2026中国（广西）—东盟工商合作交流会在南宁成功举办，来自越南、柬埔寨、菲律宾、马来西亚、泰国、日本、新西兰、乌兹别克斯坦等国家和地区的商协机构及企业负责人，以及国内各省（区、市）贸促会领导、商协机构和企业负责人共约250人出席。该交流会作为第23届中国—东盟商务与投资峰会框架下的重要经贸配套活动，由广西贸促会、钦州市人民政府、广西北部湾银行股份有限公司联合主办，围绕“深化东盟工商合作 共享3.0发展新机遇”主题，对接自贸区3.0版政策红利。广西贸促会会长、中国—东盟商务与投资峰会秘书处秘书长杨雁雁在致辞中表示，随着平陆运河通航、中国—东盟自贸区3.0版建设持续推进，愿联动全国贸促机构、携手东盟工商界，以运河为纽带深化经贸投资往来，并围绕算力共享、标准对接、技术互通、跨境数据流通、跨境电商、离岸数字服务等领域开展合作。

会上为2026中国（广西）—东盟大学生数字经济人工智能应用创新邀请赛颁奖，该赛事于2026年4月在马来西亚启动，历时半年。交流会还推动广西北部湾银行与越南、泰国、马来西亚等东盟国家的广西商协机构建立战略伙伴；南宁、钦州、防城港、北海等8个地市贸促会共同签署《平陆运河经济带核心城市贸促机构经贸投资合作框架协议》；签约投资合作及贸易采购项目8个，签约金额超7亿元。钦州市就平陆运河经济带开放合作前景作推介。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

2026年中国（广西）—东盟工商合作交流会聚焦自贸区3.0版与平陆运河通航，签约超7亿元，数字贸易与跨境物流成为关键词。这对新西兰中小企业主并非无关。一方面，中国—东盟自贸区3.0降低了东盟农产品进入中国的壁垒，越南、泰国的水果、加工食品与新西兰乳制品、肉类在部分细分市场竞争加剧；平陆运河缩短西南货物出海里程，广西作为面向东盟物流枢纽的崛起可能重塑区域供应链，使东盟产品运往中国内陆更具成本优势。

另一方面，交流会明确推动跨境电商、离岸数字服务与标准对接，新西兰企业在农业科技、数字服务和高端食品领域可借助广西的保税仓和数字平台，将产品辐射中国西南及东盟市场，降低对单一目标市场的依赖。平陆运河经济带8个地市贸促会签署合作框架显示区域内协作正在制度化，新西兰企业应评估是否将广西纳入其亚洲市场进入策略，而非仅视中国为孤立双边市场。

关键词: 中国—东盟自贸区3.0, 中国（广西）—东盟工商合作交流会, 平陆运河经济带, 广西贸促会, 杨雁雁, 第23届中国—东盟商务与投资峰会, 跨境金融合作, 数字经济与人工智能, 项目签约超7亿元

Source: China.org.cn