The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region will further strengthen economic and trade ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations over the next five years, leveraging its strategic location to drive growth, Chairman Wei Tao said on Tuesday.

Wei outlined the priorities while interpreting the region's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), highlighting Guangxi's commitment to deepening opening-up and cross-border cooperation.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Guangxi recorded major progress in opening-up. Total import and export volume exceeded 800 billion yuan ($116.9 billion), ranking second in western China.

ASEAN has remained Guangxi's largest trading partner for 26 consecutive years. Wei described Guangxi-ASEAN cooperation through three themes: "a sweet bond, a high-end grand event, and a life passage".

The "sweet bond" refers to Guangxi's role as a key gateway for ASEAN agricultural products entering China. One in every three imported durians in China passes through Guangxi customs checkpoints. Efficient clearance at ports such as Pingxiang and Dongxing allows Vietnamese durians and Thai mangosteens to reach Chinese markets within the same day, boosting consumer supply and supporting ASEAN farmers.

The "high-end grand event" refers to the China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, both of which have been held for 22 consecutive years. The events have become an important platform for high-level dialogue, trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and ASEAN countries.

The "life passage" is illustrated by the "1369 Life Express", a China-Vietnam cross-border medical rescue channel. The initiative has treated more than 700 critically ill patients from both countries. One case highlighted by officials involved a 7-year-old Vietnamese girl with severe thalassemia major — a blood disorder — who recovered after 67 days of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Guangxi. Her family said,"Chinese doctors gave our child a second chance at life."

"This year marks the fifth anniversary of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and with the rollout of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) Version 3.0, both sides have broader opportunities for cooperation," Wei said.

Over the next five years, Guangxi will focus on three areas: improving infrastructure "hard connectivity"; deepening economic and trade "soft connectivity"; and expanding "heart-to-heart connectivity" through people-to-people exchanges.

Cai Yunge, executive vice-chairman of Guangxi, said the region has signed artificial intelligence cooperation agreements with Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar and others, established overseas centers under a China-ASEAN AI application cooperation framework, and advanced 43 cross-border projects.

More than 300 AI enterprises have invested in Guangxi, supporting over 200 industry projects. Starting in 2025, the region will allocate 45 billion yuan over three years to support AI-driven new productive forces, aiming for core intelligent economy output to exceed 200 billion yuan by the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period.