Third, the CAEXPO has inspired the spirits and broadened the minds of the local people in the region. By hosting the CAEXPO, our government officials and citizens have become more confident.

What opportunities will the upcoming completion of the China-ASEAN FTA bring to the development of Guangxi?

First, the completion of the China-ASEAN FTA will help Guangxi expand trade and investment cooperation with ASEAN members. In the first eight months of this year, ASEAN continued to be Guangxi's biggest trade partner and export market. The trade volume of the two sides reached $2.65 billion. With the completion of the China-ASEAN FTA, the concession of tariffs and the realization of investment and trade facilitation, economic and trade cooperation between Guangxi and ASEAN will grow stronger.

Second, the establishment of the China-ASEAN FTA will help Guangxi adjust and upgrade its economic structures and will improve the competitiveness of its industrial market. On this point, Guangxi has adjusted its position and focused on turning itself into the China-ASEAN regional logistics, business, processing and manufacturing base, along with the grouping's information exchange center.

Third, the FTA's completion will benefit Guangxi's enterprises by giving them incentives to explore the ASEAN market.

Fourth, the FTA will help Guangxi strengthen multidisciplinary cooperation with ASEAN, other nations and regions and other Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

Last, the FTA will be beneficial for Guangxi to strengthen cooperation in the fields of technology, education, culture, health, ecology and social undertakings, making connections between Guangxi and ASEAN omni-directional, multileveled and wide-ranging.

The first challenge is more pressure to agricultural production. The influence was seen in Guangxi's fruit market this year.

The second comes from competition by ASEAN countries to attract foreign funds. If it does not actively create a superior investment environment, Guangxi will meet bigger problems in attracting foreign funds.

Guangxi will also face more challenges from other Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions that cooperate with ASEAN.

Facing the opportunities and challenges, we have decided to put our energy toward promoting the construction of the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone. We are trying to make it an important driving force of China-ASEAN sub-regional cooperation.

With a population of 12.4 million, the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone covers Guangxi's capital city of Nanning and the three coastal cities of Fangchenggang, Qinzhou and Beihai. It is strategically located at the gateway to the ASEAN member states, with both land and sea routes into the region.