The 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) began in Nanning, in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on September 17. China and ASEAN have achieved continuous progress in advancing regional economic integration in recent years, expanding common ground in multilateralism amid a volatile global landscape. A CGTN poll conducted among global netizens showed that 92.8 percent of respondents believe the CAEXPO demonstrates China and ASEAN's commitment to promoting high-level openness and defending free trade and the multilateral trading system.

This year's CAEXPO has attracted about 3,200 companies from 45 countries, with over 10,000 companies expected to attend. 94.5 percent of respondents believe that the expo has become an important platform for China and ASEAN to deepen trade exchanges. For the first time, the CAEXPO has set up a special pavilion dedicated to artificial intelligence, showcasing around 1,200 innovative AI products. Additionally, 78 percent of respondents expect that the digital economy, led by artificial intelligence, will bring new momentum to regional economic and social development.

In recent years, China and ASEAN have strengthened practical cooperation across various sectors, maintaining rapid growth in economic and trade exchanges. China and ASEAN have been each other's largest trading partners for five consecutive years, with bilateral trade exceeding $800 billion for four straight years. In the survey, 91.9 percent of respondents believe that China-ASEAN economic and trade exchanges have established a model of mutual benefit for bilateral trade relations.

Additionally, the achievements of Belt and Road cooperation between China and ASEAN are impressive. For example, the China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, and the cross-border railway connecting China, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia have been completed and put into operation, effectively facilitating the movement of people and resources. In this regard, 93 percent of respondents believe that infrastructure connectivity between China and ASEAN has significantly supported economic growth. Meanwhile, 91.4 percent praise China-ASEAN relations as the most successful and dynamic model of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and a model for Global South partnership. Furthermore, 93.9 percent agree that stronger economic and trade ties between China and ASEAN will bring stability to global economic recovery.

This year's CAEXPO is the first since China introduced the Global Governance Initiative. In a world increasingly affected by rising hegemonism and protectionism, with new threats and challenges continuing unabated and a growing governance gap, China and ASEAN have become key players in reforming and strengthening the global governance system. According to the poll, 93.9 percent of respondents believe that a healthy, stable, and sustainable China-ASEAN relationship is vital to guiding the right direction of economic globalization that benefits everyone; 91.3 percent think that building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future aligns with the global trend toward peace, development, cooperation, and mutual success.

The poll was posted on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian platforms, with 6260 people participating and sharing their views within 24 hours.