Artificial intelligence has taken center stage at the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, highlighting a major shift toward commercializing advanced digital technologies between China and Southeast Asian nations. According to Xinhua, the trade event running from September 17 to 21, 2026, has drawn more than 3,400 companies to showcase innovations ranging from real-time translation eyewear to embodied robotics.
### AI Marketplace and Commercial Tech Takes Center Stage
The ongoing expo in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region places a heavy emphasis on practical digital applications. According to China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat Secretary-General Wang Jicai, last year’s displays were mostly for show, but this year’s exhibits are actively driving sales.
An “AI marketplace” featured at the venue highlights about 500 products from more than 70 companies, allowing visitors to test and purchase items on-site. Among the attractions drawing crowds are embodied AI robots, exoskeleton medical equipment, AI-enabled wearables, and unattended coffee and ice cream booths operated by nimble robotic arms.
### Expanding Cross-Border Cooperation
Bilateral trade between China and ASEAN topped 1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2025, cementing the two sides as each other’s largest trading partner. The digital integration between the economies continues to expand under the framework of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, which was signed in October 2025.
According to Dyah Wahyu Ermawati, director of the investment and integrated license services office of Indonesia’s East Java province, artificial intelligence serves as an enabler across multiple sectors. Speaking at the 2nd China-ASEAN AI Scenario Application Matchmaking Session held alongside the expo, Ermawati noted that AI extends beyond the core technology sector to support education, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, and public services.
### Precision Agriculture and Regional Projects
The practical implementation of these technologies is already visible across Southeast Asia. In Laos and Cambodia, local partners collaborate with enterprises from Guangxi to deploy satellite imagery, drones, and ground sensors to optimize tropical crop cultivation.
Additionally, a dedicated China-ASEAN AI application cooperation center has cataloged over 1,000 potential AI scenarios, established regional offices in Vietnam, Laos, and Malaysia, and backed more than 30 cross-border projects. Visitors like Vietnamese traveler Doan Minh Thao have tested AI-powered eyewear providing real-time translation in over 40 languages, facilitating communication between regional exhibitors and international attendees.
Worth a look