China-ASEAN Business & Investment Summit held in Beijing
The State Council Information Office of China held a press conference on August 28, 2008, which invited the presence of Mr. Gao Hucheng, Vice Co-chair of the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) Organizing Committee and Vice Minister of Commerce of China, Mr. Li Jinzao, Vice Co-chair and Secretary General of the CAEXPO Organizing Committee and First Vice Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Mr. Wang Jinzhen, Vice Chairman of the China International Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) to brief the press at home and broad on the preparations for the 5th CAEXPO and the 5th China-ASEAN Business & Investment Summit (CABIS).
The Press Conference was chaired by Mr. Lu Guangjin, Vice Director-general of the Information Bureau, State Council Information Office of China.
Mr. Gao Hucheng highly credited the roles of the CAEXPO and the achievements it has scored in the previous years. Over the previous 5 years, the CAEXPO, since its debut in 2004, has kept close pace with the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) and provided enterprises of China and ASEAN with more business opportunities and effective business matching services, thus promoted the bilateral investment cooperation. It has become an important platform and access for enterprises of both sides to explore markets of both sides, further the two-way trade and investment cooperation. In these five years, the CAEXPO, by vigorously building up channels for multi-field and multi-level exchanges and cooperation, has emerged as a vital stage for the China-ASEAN exchanges among state leaders, cities, enterprises and peoples.  
Mr. Gao also said that the Chinese side would work more closely with the ASEAN side to better organize the CAEXPO, making it a program with more unique features and richer economic yields. Both sides should strengthen cooperation to perfect the CAEXPO co-sponsorship mechanisms to achieve win-win results, thus to realize the interests of both parties concerned, and to access more enterprises to the business opportunities fostered by the rapid economic growth of China and ASEAN. Furthermore, we should jointly optimize related services, andto increase economic and trading returns of this event. The CAEXPO should be a good showcase of products and cooperation projects that cater to the markets of China and ASEAN, along with more quality trade visitors, so that enterprises could enjoy more business opportunities. Meanwhile, we should enhance the roles and influences of the CAEXPO, expand and enrich China-ASEAN cooperation in the 10 priority fields and promote bilateral exchanges in various fields, so as to further clarify the role of the CAEXPO as a platform for communication and cooperation.
Mr. Li Jinzao briefed on the progress of preparations for the 5th CAEXPO. He said, this year will see the 5th sessions of both the CAEXPO and the CABIS, as well as the 30th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up program, and the construction of the CAFTA  is now speeding up and the regional cooperation between China and ASEAN is enhanced. Based on the previous 4 sessions, the 5th CAEXPO will sparkle with new highlights and features as follows: 
Number of booths used by ASEAN enterprises comes to a new height and pragmatic programs are arranged for the CAEXPO Country of Honor. At this CAEXPO, 6 ASEAN countries will charter exhibition halls to set up their respective Pavilion of Commodity Trade, and totally 1,154 booths will be used by the 10 ASEAN countries, which is the largest number in the history of the CAEXPO. For Cambodia, who will be the Country of Honor of the 5th CAEXPO, a series of events will be held, including the Sino-Cambodian Entrepreneurs’ Seminar and the art shows presented by Cambodian art groups, etc.
More quality exhibits and products with unique country flavors will be on display to spotlight the 4 exhibition pavilions. The Pavilion of Commodity Trade of the 5th CAEXPO, tailored for the markets of China and ASEAN, will showcase those products that enjoy comparatively large bilateral trading volumes and strong complementarities between China and ASEAN; the Pavilion of Investment Cooperation will highlight overseas investment projects of Chinese enterprises and industrial parks of all kinds, thus to pragmatically promote the overseas investing of China-based enterprises and the investment cooperation between China and ASEAN; the Pavilion of Agricultural Applicable Technology will spotlight the Exhibition of New & High-tech Projects to facilitate China-ASEAN cooperation in applicable technology; the Pavilion of Cities of Charm, with  the information & communications technology (ICT) cooperation as its theme, will showcase major ICT cities of China and the 10 ASEAN countries.
More professional business-matching programs will be arranged to facilitate business talks. As a business friendly trade event, the CAEXPO will perfect its business database, intensify efforts to invite quality trade visitors to the event and arrange more effective business matching programs during the fair period, so as to yield richer economic and trading outcomes.
Multi-field cooperation will be enriched and professional forums on diversified themes and topics will be held. 14 high-end professional forums and conferences will be held during the 5th CAEXPO, including the 5th CABIS, the 3rd China-ASEAN ICT Week, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Roundtable Meeting for Investment Promotion Agencies, the China-ASEAN Conference of Ministers of Information and the China-ASEAN Transportation Cooperation Forum, etc. to further promote China-ASEAN cooperation in the priority fields, thus to further the multi-field and multi-level cooperation between the two sides.
Supporting services will be improved to create sound exhibition environment for event participants. The 5th CAEXPO will provide its participants with professional and considerate service packages as well as a sound environment for business talks.
Mr. Wang Jinzhen briefed on the preparations for the 5th CABIS. He said, the CABIS, as the highest-level event for business communities of China and ASEAN, has fulfilled its tasks and objectives to enhance exchanges and cooperation within the China-ASEAN region.  The previous 4 sessions of the CABIS totally drew 21 heads of state/government of China and the 10 ASEAN countries, among whom, 18 ones addressed the event, together with 33 ministers, 49 presidents/chairpersons of chambers of commerce, business elites, experts and scholars, who also delivered speeches and had in-depth discussions at the theme conferences. The 5th CABIS, aiming to enhance mutual understanding between business communities of China and ASEAN, expand economic and trading exchanges and cooperation and accelerate the CAFTA construction, will enrich its theme, arrange diversified events, arrange effective promotion campaigns and optimize related services, thus to achieve a successful event with new highlights and characteristics. The 5th CABIS, with Broad Vision, Move Action as its theme, will arrange two conferences on cooperation among small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and investment cooperation.
Competent officials also answered questions raised by the Chinese and foreign correspondents/reporters on these two events at the press conference. 
Participants in this press conference also included envoys of ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) in China, officials from the Ministry of Commerce of China, the Ministry of Industry & Information of China, CCPIT and the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
83 correspondents/reporters from 61 media attended the press conference, among which, over 20 business media were invited in line with the line-up of exhibits of the CAEXPO.
source:China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat