Increased trade eyed from China-Asean expo

THE country’s export promotions authority is taking pulling out all the stops for an international trade event in China where it will to highlight agricultural and other business opportunities in the Philippines.

Pavilions will be set up at the Nanning Internation Convention Center for the 14th China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) from September 12 to 15, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) said.

“The Philippine participation in CAEXPO will have two pavilions. One, the National Pavilion which will be featuring Aurora provinces’ eight municipalities as the ‘ Cities of Charm’ and the Investment Promotion Area which will feature the Investment Promotion Agencies,” said Eva Marie Mariquina, officerin- charge of CITEM’s Special Projects Division.

“The second pavilion is the Commodity Pavilion which will feature 42 companies from the food, fashion and wearables, arts and crafts and health and wellness sectors,” she added.

Mariquina said CITEM was also organizing a Philippine promo conference that will be held on September 13.

“Another forum is being organized

by the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) with its Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of CAEXPO on September 12,” she added..

Mariquina said the promotional blitz was in keeping with Republic Act 10816 or the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016 that made CITEM bundle the promotion of the country’s best agri-tourism sites, agri-investment areas and agri-based exports.

The China- Asean Expo was organized by the government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and co-sponsored by the Chinese ministries of commerce, industry and trade, the 10 Asean member states and the Asean Secretariat.

“The 14th CAEXPO will present new opprtunities for China and Asean member countries to expand and deepen friendly exchange and cooperation with their counterparts beyond the region,” the CAEXPO Secretariat said in an e-mailed statement.

This year’s CAEXPO will highlight the theme of “Jointly Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Promoting Regional Economic Integration through Tourism.”