NANNING, China, Oct. 27, 2026 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/ --
Autumn has brought fresh momentum for opening-up to Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit have just concluded, the Pinglu Canal has opened to navigation, and new projects are taking shape at the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center.
As one of China's key gateways for cooperation with ASEAN, Nanning is expanding its international engagement through stronger cooperation platforms, improved connectivity and innovation-driven development, while playing a growing role in China-ASEAN exchanges.
A platform for China-ASEAN cooperation
As the permanent host city of CAEXPO, Nanning has spent more than two decades building what has become known as the "Nanning Channel" - a regular platform linking China and ASEAN in political dialogue, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges.
At the 23rd CAEXPO, a newly launched AI marketplace drew considerable attention. The main exhibition area showcased frontier technologies including large AI models and AI chips, alongside products tailored to ASEAN markets such as AI glasses, intelligent robots and rehabilitation and nursing devices.
More than 70 companies displayed over 500 products in eight categories, generating transactions worth more than 28 million yuan (about 3.9 million U.S. dollars). During the expo, Nanning also held a series of business matchmaking events covering digital trade, cross-border e-commerce and intelligent manufacturing, helping exhibitors turn business contacts into commercial and investment opportunities.
At the Nanning Comprehensive Bonded Zone, specialty products from Southeast Asia are distributed across China through cross-border e-commerce networks. Supported by trade links built through CAEXPO, Nanning has seen continued growth in cross-border e-commerce, facilitating two-way flows of ASEAN products into China and Chinese-made goods into ASEAN markets.
In the first eight months of 2026, Nanning's foreign trade totaled 65.171 billion yuan, up 2.4 percent year on year. Trade with ASEAN reached 18.246 billion yuan, accounting for 28 percent of the city's total, while trade with Vietnam increased by 18.6 percent.
A new waterway linking inland China with the sea
The opening of the Pinglu Canal on Sept. 16 has added a new dimension to Nanning's connectivity with the sea.
The canal allows vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes to sail directly from Nanning to the Beibu Gulf. For cargo from southwest China heading to the sea, the route via the Pinglu Canal shortens the inland waterway journey by more than 560 kilometers compared with the route via Guangzhou Port.
The new waterway is strengthening Nanning's role as a transport hub linking inland areas with coastal ports.
To seize the opportunities created by the canal, Nanning is planning industrial development along the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt. Upgrades to the Balian Joint Operation Area in the Liujing Port Zone will enable it to accommodate 5,000-tonne vessels, while construction of a dedicated railway line at Liujing is being accelerated to improve rail-water intermodal transport.
An inland port is thus being transformed into a river-sea transport hub, while industries including nonferrous metals, green chemicals and equipment manufacturing are increasingly clustering along the canal.
The Nanning Area of the China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone is providing another source of momentum. In connection with initiatives including the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" model and the China-ASEAN Industrial Cooperation Zone, the Nanning Area has introduced 260 institutional innovations, 214 of which are considered first-of-their-kind practices at the national or autonomous-region level.
It has continued to explore new approaches in areas such as cross-border finance and digital trade. Combined with the lower logistics costs made possible by improved links between Guangxi and ASEAN, these measures are helping Nanning attract industrial investment and develop both airport-oriented and port-related industries.
AI opens a new area of cooperation
Artificial intelligence is emerging as another important field in Nanning's cooperation with ASEAN.
At the exhibition center of the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center in Wuxiang New District, solutions covering smart cities, healthcare, education and agriculture are on display, drawing delegations from ASEAN countries for visits and business discussions.
Nanning is pursuing a development model described as "R&D in Beijing, Shanghai and the Greater Bay Area, integration in Guangxi, and application in ASEAN," seeking to turn the city into a hub for international AI cooperation with Southeast Asia.
ArcherMind Technology has established its ASEAN headquarters in Nanning, with intelligent robot products entering markets including Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam and being used in schools in ASEAN countries. iFLYTEK has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Nanning to explore AI applications for ASEAN markets in fields including education, healthcare and urban governance.
Semiconductor companies such as Xinchen Semiconductor are also integrating chip technologies and production in Nanning, with applications ranging from the Internet of Vehicles to the Internet of Things.
Nanning is now home to 1,552 AI-related enterprises, accounting for 57.3 percent of Guangxi's total.
During the 23rd CAEXPO, the China-ASEAN AI community in Nanning hosted 37 roadshows and matchmaking events and released 42 cooperation needs for AI application scenarios in ASEAN. Nearly 100 preliminary cooperation agreements were reached, involving around 2 billion yuan, including more than 1 billion yuan in intended cooperation with ASEAN countries.
AI is becoming a new calling card for Nanning's opening-up, broadening China-ASEAN cooperation beyond trade and investment into digital technologies and intelligent applications.
From the long-established "Nanning Channel" to the new opportunities created by the Pinglu Canal and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, Nanning is expanding the scope of its opening-up and strengthening links between Chinese and international markets.
With platforms, transport links and emerging industries increasingly working together, the city is seeking to turn its location at the forefront of China-ASEAN cooperation into more concrete opportunities for trade, investment and innovation.
