China-ASEAN Business Leaders Forum to be held in Nanning on September 17, 2026

On September 17, 2026, the China–ASEAN Business Leaders Forum (hereinafter referred to as the Forum), the plenary session of the 23rd China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS), will be held in Nanning, Guangxi, China. Coinciding with the key implementation phase of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0, this year’s Forum adopts the theme of “Synergizing Digital and Intelligent Development, Writing a New Chapter in CAFTA”. Adhering to the principles of “AI-led, enterprise-centered, and application-focused”, the Forum will gather government officials, business leaders, industry experts from China and ASEAN as well as representatives of international organizations to explore new pathways for digital and intelligent cooperation, draft new blueprints for industrial upgrading, and forge a new landscape for regional shared prosperity, injecting fresh momentum into building a closer China–ASEAN community with a shared future.

Evolving with CAFTA: The Ascent from 1.0 to 3.0

As the flagship event of the CABIS, the Forum has consistently evolved alongside the CAFTA since its inception in 2010, witnessing the leap from CAFTA 1.0 to 3.0. Over the past 16 years, the Forum has grown from a dialogue platform into a pragmatic nexus connecting governments and businesses, and bridging domestic and international interests in China–ASEAN economic and trade cooperation. By aligning micro-level business needs with macro-level regional development, the Forum has become a cornerstone for resilient regional industrial and supply chains as well as integrated economic growth.

During the CAFTA 1.0 phase, the Forum focused on connectivity and industrial capacity cooperation, promoting regional market openness and trade facilitation. Entering the CAFTA 2.0 phase, the Forum capitalized on the RCEP’s entry into force to yield institutional outcomes. Notably, it facilitated the establishment of the RCEP Business Advisory Council China Committee Guangxi Liaison Office, and released outcome documents such as Business Environment of ASEAN 2022. Its scope of services has expanded from China-ASEAN to RCEP and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, becoming a vital pillar for empowering cross-border investment, improving the business environment, and supporting enterprises in going global.

Building on the institutional opening-up of CAFTA 3.0, the Forum now addresses high-standard opening-up, digital transformation, and mutual recognition of standards, continuously producing high-quality cooperation outcomes. It has released the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit Upgrade Development Plan (2025-2035) as well as a series of AI industry reports, and launched “Nanning Initiatives” on stabilizing industrial and supply chains as well as promoting AI cooperation. The official inauguration of the Joint Secretariat of the China–ASEAN Business Council (CABC) has created a synergistic “CABIS+CABC” mechanism, advancing regional business cooperation from dialogue to a long-term, institutionalized, and regularized collaborative framework.

The transition from dialogue to institutional development has not only bolstered business cohesion but also laid a solid foundation for this year’s Forum to deepen digital-intelligent cooperation.

Seizing CAFTA 3.0: Unlocking Regional Cooperation Potential through Digital-Intelligent Synergy

With the full implementation of the CAFTA 3.0, regional cooperation has shifted from a traditional factor-driven model to one driven by digitalization, innovation, and institutions. Digital and intelligent synergy has emerged as a core breakthrough for regional industrial upgrading.

Centered on enterprise needs and frontier technologies, this year’s Forum features two major topics, namely “A New Landscape in Regional Industrial Cooperation Under CAFTA 3.0” and “Jointly Building a New Future for China–ASEAN AI Cooperation”. Representatives from ASEAN business communities, Chinese enterprises and think tanks will engage in in-depth discussions, to help businesses seize policy opportunities and achieve transformation.

Additionally, the Forum will also feature a promotional session for the 5th China International Supply Chain Expo, introducing this national-level platform to ASEAN businesses, facilitating deep integration of high-quality industrial resources from China and ASEAN into global supply chains.

Flagship Outcome Debut: Case Collection Charts the Landscape of AI Cooperation

The Forum will unveil a landmark outcome—the China-ASEAN AI Cooperation Case Collection. Focusing on live practices in smart shipping, smart manufacturing, smart agriculture, smart healthcare, smart education, and smart cities, the collection vividly illustrates the tangible results of Chinese AI technologies and solutions in ASEAN countries. It showcases the success of the development model of “R&D in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, integration in Guangxi and application in ASEAN”, providing a replicable sample for deepening regional AI cooperation.

This case collection serves as a systematic review of past outcomes and a forward-looking vision for digital economy cooperation under CAFTA 3.0. It offers a clear “AI Roadmap” for the business community, encouraging companies to transit from “knowing about AI” to “applying AI”, and from “observing cooperation” to “taking practical action”.

Embarking on a New Chapter: Towards Integrated Growth and Shared Prosperity

The year 2026 marks the 5th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and a crucial year for advancing the implementation of CAFTA 3.0. At this pivotal juncture, the China–ASEAN Business Leaders Forum is evolving from a traditional economic and trade promotion platform into a new engine for institutional opening-up driven by digital-intelligent integration. By deeply embedding AI elements into its agenda, guest invitations, outcome release and scenario demonstrations, this year’s Forum aims to create a visible, palpable, tangible digital-intelligent grand event. Driven by digital-intelligent synergy, It will propel China–ASEAN business communities from “connectivity” toward “integrated growth and shared prosperity”, injecting sustained business strength into building a closer China–ASEAN community with a shared future.