A view of the South Asia Pavilion at the 9th China-South Asia Expo, which kicks off in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, on June 19. The expo sees full participation from South and Southeast Asian countries. Photo: Courtesy of the executive committee of the 9th China-South Asia Expo

The 9th China-South Asia Expo kicked off on Thursday in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, with participation of representatives from all South and Southeast Asian countries. In total, 73 countries, regions, and international organizations had confirmed their participation as of Tuesday, an official with the expo's executive committee told the Global Times on Thursday.

"Solidarity and Cooperation for Common Development" remains the theme of this year's expo, with Sri Lanka being the theme country and Thailand as the guest country of honor.

The event, which aims to deepen regional cooperation and offer foreign enterprises greater access to China's vast market, features 2,510 participating enterprises, an increase of 321 compared with the 8th edition. Of these, 1,568 are domestic companies, accounting for 63 percent of the total, up by 158 from the previous expo, according to the official.

Notably, the number of overseas enterprises has risen by 163 to 942, representing 37 percent of the total. Meanwhile, more than 120 renowned companies from home and abroad are taking part, a 36-percent increase from the previous edition.

The expo includes 16 themed pavilions covering manufacturing, green energy, the coffee industry, and traditional Chinese medicine, highlighting key sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and modern agriculture that have strong potential for economic and trade cooperation between China and South and Southeast Asian countries, the official said.

This year's China-South Asia Expo offers an expanded platform for South Asian products, with two dedicated pavilions and nearly 800 exhibition booths, with India and Pakistan having the largest representation, each occupying 140 booths, the expo's executive committee told the Global Times.

Enterprises from Oceania and Europe are also attending the expo, not only to tap into opportunities in the Chinese market, but also to gain the unique international perspective offered by the event.

"It's our first time at the China-South Asia Expo. While we mainly deal in Australian products, we're also looking to discover quality offerings from other countries and identify new directions for future expansion," Li Zimeng, president of Australian Natural Biotechnology China, told the Global Times on Thursday. "The expo provides a valuable platform for us to explore cooperation with neighboring Southeast Asian countries in products, sales, and business development, while helping reduce participation costs."

The company joined this year's expo as part of the Australian national pavilion, marking its first appearance at the event. A number of Australian enterprises also participated, according to Li. "Events like this allow us to connect with Australia's emerging industries and premium products while in China," Li said.

The previous eight editions of the expo have attracted a total of more than 20,000 domestic and international enterprises and facilitating more than $110 billion in trade, data from the expo's executive committee showed. It has become a key platform for strengthening exchanges, deepening cooperation, and advancing shared development between China and South Asian countries.

In 2024, trade between China and South Asian nations approached $200 billion, doubling over the past decade with an average annual growth rate of about 6.3 percent. China has remained the largest trading partner for several countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, for several consecutive years, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce, via the expo's executive committee.