The ninth China-ASEAN EXPO (CAEXPO) wrapped up in Nanning city, Guangxi province, China yesterday with trade transactions totaling 1.8 billion USD, 3.9 percent more than the previous event. The five-day event also saw 118 contracts totaling 8.2 billion USD signed between Chinese and international partners. 52,000 people attended the expo, up 2.8 percent. Like the China-ASEAN Business-Investment Summit (CABIS), CAEXPO is an annual activity held by China’s Commerce Ministry in collaboration with 10 ASEAN member countries. CABIS and CAEXPO have become important events not only for Chinese and ASEAN businesses but also for non-regional partners. This year’s EXPO was attended by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping , Myanmar President Thein Sein, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Laos’ Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, and the Deputy Prime Ministers of Thailand and Malaysia, among others.