BEIJING: The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo, now underway in Nanning, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has unveiled a first-of-its-kind AI marketplace, a move aimed at boosting digital economy cooperation by connecting Chinese AI solutions with ASEAN needs.
This year’s expo, held from September 17 to 21, is breaking new ground in its AI section with both a main venue and a sub-venue, each offering a distinct focus, according to event organizers.
The main venue showcases cutting-edge technologies such as large language models and AI chips, while the sub-venue features more than 400 products from 60 companies tailored to the ASEAN market, including AI glasses, smart robots, and rehabilitation and nursing-care devices. Both visitors and buyers can try out these products on site and place orders directly. In the sub-venue, Chinese companies such as Huawei, iFlytek and Unitree Robotics are showcasing the latest advances in embodied intelligence, large-model applications and urban governance. Organizations from ASEAN countries including Thailand and Indonesia are also presenting their homegrown AI technologies on the same stage.
The AI section’s sub-venue will remain open year-round after the expo closes, showcasing Chinese AI consumer products throughout the year and helping turn “expo hits” into a steady push for them to go global.
“We are not chasing the most advanced technology or the most complete product lineup,” said Lu Xinning, vice chairperson of the regional government of Guangxi. “What we are striving for is the best fit with ASEAN and the most solid on-the-ground results.”
She cited the Civil Code, noting that minors aged 16 to 18 can be considered to have full civil capacity if their primary source of income is their own labor or if they are able to be responsible for their actions.
“However, those under 16 are generally not mature enough and lack sufficient life experience, making them susceptible to cyberbullying and irrational spending, so they are not permitted to be livestream hosts,” she said.
Minors under 16 can watch livestreams, she said, but streaming platforms must provide and ensure the use of a minor mode for them.
Liu Ying, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies, also expressed support for the draft’s approach of providing differentiated protection and online services based on minors’ level of physical and mental development.
“The cognitive abilities, discernment levels and self-protection awareness of minors gradually develop with age, and the online risks faced by different age groups vary,” said Liu, adding that using the age thresholds for civil capacity outlined in the Civil Code as a reference is practical and aligns with the legal framework.
Zheng and Liu both praised the draft for explicitly prohibiting the provision of services such as virtual companions and virtual relatives to minors.
“Virtual intimacy can easily lead children to form emotional attachments, blur the boundaries between virtual and real-life interpersonal relationships, interfere with their real-life social interactions and value recognition and potentially induce internet addiction and irrational spending,” Zheng said.
She added that the prohibition is consistent with another regulation, which took effect on July 15, that bans AI platforms from generating content that could lead users to make questionable decisions by emotional manipulation or that could trigger extreme emotions or unhealthy habits among minors.
Wang Zhiqin, vice-president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said the draft also aligns with global trends and offers a solution to the worldwide governance challenge of protecting minors online.
In recent years, evidence has grown on the effects of social media on minors’ mental health, behavior and safety, with more countries and regions exploring higher legal thresholds for minors who use social platforms. Some countries have introduced legislation imposing age restrictions in this area, Wang said.
Wang said the latest draft is based on changes in the online environment and emerging risks, and establishes a collaborative governance framework involving cyberspace, education, public security and internet platforms, tailored to different age groups of children.
“This approach not only effectively prevents potential risks of harm from the internet to minors, but also ensures their rights to safely and reasonably use the internet, presenting a solution with Chinese characteristics,” she added.
The expo also features a new exhibition area bringing together projects and application needs from ASEAN countries in fields such as transportation, smart logistics, AI, urban management and industrial park development. In addition, a 10,000-square-meter zone dedicated to “AI Plus Finance” has been added to the financial exhibition area.
With AI as a bridge, the expo is building a “super interface” for China-ASEAN digital economy cooperation. The push comes as China and ASEAN work to accelerate the implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, signed in October 2025 and covering areas such as the digital economy and green development.
Economic ties between China and ASEAN have continued to deepen. Bilateral trade topped $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, totaling $1.05 trillion, up 7.4% year on year. In the first seven months of 2026, trade between the two sides reached $744.41 billion, an increase of 24.7% year on year and accounting for 17.1% of China’s total foreign trade.
China has remained ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China’s largest trading partner for six successive years. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
