The first session of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo Promotion Conference took place in Jakarta, Indonesia on Feb 15, gathering nearly 100 representatives from Indonesian business associations and enterprises.

Indonesia's business community has shown strong confidence in the strengths of the 20th CAEXPO, as it is expected to promote regional economic growth and boost prosperous development in the post-pandemic era.

Wei Zhaohui, secretary-general of the CAEXPO Secretariat, said that the ASEAN conference is an important opening-up and cooperation platform between China and ASEAN countries. It has become a propeller for the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

Wei added that 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the CAEXPO and the ASEAN-China bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. In addition, Wei stated that the upcoming 20th ASEAN conference in September will go through comprehensive upgrades.

The CAEXPO will provide opportunities for more distinctive Indonesian products to enter the Chinese market, while also allowing Indonesian enterprises to purchase Chinese products at the same time.

In addition, Indonesia will seek more opportunities to attract foreign investments at the CAEXPO, and Indonesian enterprises will gain benefits from attending the event, such as using direct charted planes and having everlasting exhibition platforms, including the online CAEXPO and the China-ASEAN Business Center.

Indonesian officials noted during the conference that the Ministry of Trade will encourage and support local enterprises to participate in the 20th CAEXPO and to further explore Chinese markets.

In the past 19 years, more than 5,000 Indonesian businessmen from over 1,000 enterprises have participated in previous sessions, and that the CAEXPO has provided important opportunities for high-quality Indonesian products to enter the Chinese market.

Of note, sessions of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo Promotion Conference will also take place in other ASEAN countries, creating broader platforms for enterprises to seek international cooperation.