The 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit concluded Sunday in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with more than 500 economic and trade agreements signed at the event.

Wei Zhaohui, secretary-general of CAEXPO Secretariat, told a press briefing Sunday afternoon that this year's expo saw the signing of 155 investment projects, with 74 focused on processing and manufacturing, accounting for 88 percent of total investment.

Among the signed projects, 44 focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to boost industrial development, a theme prominently showcased at this year’s expo, where AI-driven new quality productive forces took center stage.

For the first time, the expo featured a pavilion dedicated to AI, showcasing about 1,200 products, including about 20 large language models and 60 intelligent robots.

More than 200 AI companies participated in the expo’s first-ever AI-dedicated hall, reflecting a significant increase in the share of high-tech exhibits. Over half of all exhibits featured AI or AI-enhanced products.

This year’s expo also introduced its first special zone for new quality productive forces and hosted 25 launch events showcasing new products and technologies across fields such as AI, the digital economy, new energy, and smart connected vehicles.

"The platform of this expo offers an excellent opportunity for us to expand from the domestic market into Southeast Asia, enabling us to establish local manufacturing, supply chains, sales, and financial services -- essentially building a comprehensive ecosystem for new energy vehicle sales in the region," said Han Dehong, an exhibitor.

The five-day event spanned an exhibition area of 160,000 square meters and attracted 3,260 enterprises from 60 countries. Enterprises from ASEAN countries totaled 627. By 14:00 on Sunday, the total number of visitor entries had reached 221,000, setting a new record.