AI Empowers Economic and Trade Cooperation, Strengthening Trade and Investment Ties 23rd China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit Held in Nanning, Guangxi

The 23rd China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) was held in Nanning, Guangxi, China, from September 17 to 19, 2026, with the aim of building a high-level platform for exchanges and cooperation on AI applications and industrial innovation between China and ASEAN.

Opening ceremony of the 23rd China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. Photo courtesy of the CCPIT Guangxi Committee

Co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the national chambers of commerce and industry of ASEAN member states, CABIS is the highest-level, largest, and most influential national-level international economic and trade event involving China and ASEAN. Since its inception in 2004, CABIS has been held annually and has played an important role in advancing economic, trade, and investment cooperation between China and ASEAN. The 23rd CABIS featured major events including the opening ceremony, the China-ASEAN Business Leaders Forum, and the China-ASEAN Commercial Law Forum, providing a platform for dialogue between governments and businesses and among businesses, policy coordination, and project matchmaking.

The year 2026 marks a crucial stage in the implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0. Taking Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN as an opportunity, CABIS expanded its network of business cooperation. Focusing on digital trade, the green economy, and supply chain resilience, it actively responded to ASEAN’s industrial development needs. Working with the business communities of the 11 ASEAN member states, it promoted the translation of policy consensus into tangible outcomes in business cooperation, injecting new momentum into regional economic integration.

The 23rd CABIS further integrated “AI + CABIS” by hosting a series of AI-themed side events and releasing Smart Links across Land and Sea: China-ASEAN AI International Cooperation Casebook (2026), thereby promoting the practical application of AI in ASEAN. The summit highlighted the role of enterprises as key players. By holding an ASEAN-oriented business matchmaking conference, it strengthened the “Nanning Channel” and supported the development of the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt. (CCPIT Guangxi Committee)