The 2024 Qingdao-ASEAN Trade & Investment Exchange and Marketing Event is held in Qingdao on July 23. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 200 senior officials from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, expressed hopes of developing new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation as well as cultural exchanges at the 2024 Qingdao-ASEAN Trade & Investment Exchange and Marketing Event held in Qingdao on July 23.

Shi Zhongjun, secretary general of the ASEAN-China Center, said that this year has been designated as the China-ASEAN Year of Cultural Exchanges, a pivotal year for China and ASEAN in implementing their comprehensive strategic partnership and jointly pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative.

Shi emphasized that economic and trade cooperation have always been a highlight of China-ASEAN relations. In addition to traditional areas, industrial cooperation between China and ASEAN is expanding into new fields such as digital economy and green development. Both sides have made agreements on a number of high-level projects in areas like photovoltaics and new energy vehicles, demonstrating broad prospects for cooperation.

Khouanchay Lemsouthi, commercial and economic counsellor of the Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to China, expressed his hopes of deepening cooperation with China in the tourism sector. He highlighted the significant potential for cooperation between Laos and Qingdao, Shandong, in the tourism sector.

He added that Qingdao is a renowned tourist city, while Laos' tourism industry is rapidly developing, laying a solid foundation for deeper cooperation.

In recent years, economic and trade exchanges between Qingdao and ASEAN countries have become increasingly close, with Qingdao having established sister-city relationships with seven cities in ASEAN countries.

Zhao Haozhi, mayor of Qingdao, stated that ASEAN is an important economic and trade cooperation partner for Qingdao and a key part of its efforts to expand high-level opening-up to the outside world. Qingdao will take this opportunity to continue strengthening the alignment of key industries between both sides, expanding bilateral trade volume, and deepening exchanges in areas such as technology, education, culture, and tourism.