Apart from providing opportunities to Chinese business circles, the ongoing second China-ASEAN Expo also serves as a new platform for trade and economic exchanges between China and ASEAN member countries.

Entrepreneurs and businessmen attending the exposition say this explains the theme of this year's exposition -- "ten plus one is more than eleven."

Rick San Juan from the Philippines, who does business in fruit, artistic work and garments, said the exposition has been very profitable.

"It is my first time at the fair. Not only have I found many trade partners in China, I have also made many friends from other ASEAN countries, and this will be a huge help to our future development," he said.

"I feel excited to see so many peers here," said Andrew Huang, sales manager of private Singapore-based LASER company's Shanghai office.

"Friends from Malaysia and Brunei talked with us today about our business and hundreds of people have come to visit our product display."

Companies and business chambers from ASEAN member countries took an active role during the exposition in tourism and culture exchanges.

A clerk named Chan from a Singaporean travel agency said he went to the Myanmar tourism exhibition area to ask for a set of tourism advertising materials.

"Myanmar is a country with a very special flavor, and we are thinking of cooperating with Myanmar travel agencies to open some transnational travel routes," Chan said.

After years of joint efforts, the ASEAN has become a mature regional organization. Along with the building of the China-ASEAN free trade area, collaboration among member countries in trade, services and investment will be closer and more frequent, said Huang Ge from the bureau of China-ASEAN expo affairs.

The official said the exposition is held for the entire China-ASEAN region, which is also open to the whole world.

"As host of the exposition, we are glad to see that it is becoming a good platform for cooperation among ASEAN countries," Huang said.

Source: Xinhua