The first China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo Summit for International Cooperation (CAESIC) is to be held in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on April 12, the organizing committee announced on Sunday.

To date, six overseas and 23 Chinese exhibition organizations have signed up for the event to be held in the regional capital, Nanning.

The event is expected to attract more than 300 senior representatives of the exhibition industry from both home and abroad.

A series of activities including a roundtable meeting on Sino-ASEAN cooperation in the industry, an awards ceremony for enterprises and individuals as well as a symposium on the access standard to the China-ASEAN expo will be held during the summit.

Participants will also confer on the establishment of an international council as a permanent organization of the summit.

Trade between China and ASEAN countries has increased rapidly since 1991 when relations were established between China and ASEAN countries.

Trade volume rose to US$105.88 billion in 2004 from US$6.691 billion in 1990, an average annual increase of 21.81 percent, according to Ministry of Commerce figures.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the bilateral dialogue partnership and the China-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation year.

(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2006)