The China (Guangxi)-ASEAN Promotion Meeting on Key Projects of Trade in Services was held in Beijing on Sept 4 during the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

Being held both online and on-site, the fair attracted representatives from nearly 100 business associations and companies from both China and ASEAN, reaching a batch of preliminary cooperation intentions.

The fair showcased the advantages in developing trade in services in Guangxi and ASEAN, especially the cooperation achievements made by the two sides in key areas spanning medicine, tourism, the digital economy and logistics.

Zhu Guangyao, an official from the Ministry of Commerce, noted that China's export volume of trade in services to ASEAN grew by 0.3 percent year on year to $53 billion in 2020 and the growth rate was much higher than the figure for China's overall export volume in trade in services.

Zhu added that the implementation of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to bring broader development prospects for China-ASEAN relationships and he expressed his hope that Guangxi can make full use of the CIFTIS to boost the development of trade in services between Guangxi and ASEAN.

Yang Chunting, head of the Commerce Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said that Guangxi is willing to devote continuous efforts in promoting the opening-up and cooperation with ASEAN as the year 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations.