"We were just five minutes late, and there were no seats left in the venue. Extra chairs had to be added to accommodate everyone."

On September 10, the 2025 Sichuan-South Asia &Southeast Asia Business Development Cooperation Conference was held in Chengdu. "Our company's enzyme preparations are already being exported to Viet Nam, Thailand, and Indonesia. We want to seize this opportunity to further explore the market," said Cao Xuemei, Foreign Trade Manager of Mianyang Accozymes Co., Ltd., who chatted with attendees beside her during the conference.

That day, the venue was filled with attendees who shared Cao Xuemei's aspirations. This conference vividly demonstrated Sichuan's vibrant openness and the vast cooperation potential with South and Southeast Asia.

Current Situation:

Closer Cooperation Between Sichuan and South Asia &Southeast Asia in Multiple Areas

"Last year, BYD's factory in Thailand was completed. In Thailand, the top-selling car brand has usually been Toyota, but BYD took the lead last year, which to a large extent reflects the potential of Chinese products," said Chaowchai Jiemvijid, Chairman of the Border and Cross Border Trade Subcommittee on Southern China, The Thai Chamber of Commerce.

In fact, China has been Thailand's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years and is Thailand's second-largest export market.

According to the statistics from Chengdu Customs District, the import-export value between Thailand and Sichuan Province reached 19.56 billion yuan in the first half of this year, an increase of 1.1 times year-on-year. Specifically, Sichuan's imports from Thailand amounted to 2.46 billion yuan, while its exports to Thailand surged to 17.1 billion yuan, up 1.7 times year-on-year.

In recent years, Sichuan and Thailand have achieved breakthroughs in agricultural trade, notably durians, and industrial cooperation like the automotive sector, demonstrating strengthened economic ties.

Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group, among the first foreign enterprises entering Sichuan, has been actively investing in the province's agricultural sector. In December 2023, the Phase I project of Thailand TCP Group Red Bull Drink (Sichuan) Production Base commenced operations, followed by the Phase II project launch in June this year. The project represents the largest foreign-invested food and beverage project in Sichuan Province in terms of the paid-in capital of foreign direct investment (FDI).

Mohamed Rasheed, Chairman of the China-Maldives Cultural Exchange Association, expressed profound appreciation for the development achievements between the two places while attending the conference in Sichuan for the 13th time. "In 2012, Sichuan Airlines launched direct flights to the Maldives. Currently, the airline operates two daily flights between Chengdu and Malé, demonstrating robust tourism connectivity between the two places."

South and Southeast Asia have consistently been key regions in Sichuan's opening-up strategy. In 2024, Sichuan's total import and export value with South and Southeast Asian countries reached 251.3 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 20.8 percent. Cooperation has been substantially advanced in sectors such as electronic information, energy and mineral resources, agricultural products trade, and infrastructure construction.

A more tangible change is reflected in citizens' daily lives. This summer, Thai durians entered Sichuan's market with unprecedented freshness. Shipped via the China-Laos Railway's full-rail cold chain logistics, Thai "golden pillow" durians now reach Chengdu within 3-5 days through seamless "single-container" direct transport.

Sichuan has now essentially established a multi-modal southern corridor connecting South and Southeast Asia through integrated road, rail, maritime and air links, with cooperation mechanisms continuously extending into finer networks.

Future Focus:

Digital Transformation, New Energy, and Cultural Tourism Take Center Stage

At the conference, government leaders and distinguished guests from home and abroad proactively expressed their commitment to cooperation, demonstrating their anticipation for collaborative opportunities.

Sri Lanka served as the guest country of honor at this year's conference. Keerthi Gunawardane, President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka, highlighted a telling figure: Sichuan's imports from Sri Lanka surged eight times year-on-year from January to July this year, which presents substantial potential for bilateral economic collaboration.

"Sri Lanka possesses abundant mineral resources and distinctive cultural tourism offerings," stated Keerthi Gunawardane, "We look forward to deepening cooperation with Sichuan in such areas as infrastructure and port development projects."

Digitalization, new energy and cultural tourism emerge as repeatedly emphasized priorities.

"We hope to integrate China's AI technologies and green development concepts into Maldives' cultural tourism sector," stated Mohamed Rasheed, "particularly in developing low-carbon tourism and virtual immersive travel experiences."

Professor Li Changqing from the School of International Business at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics noted that Sichuan's new energy enterprises possess significant opportunities in South and Southeast Asia. For instance, Indonesia's nickel reserves—accounting for approximately 20 percent of the global total and ranking first worldwide—present significant opportunities for Sichuan's lithium battery industry. Meanwhile, Sichuan's green technologies, such as bio-jet fuel production, also hold substantial potential for development in South and Southeast Asia.

"South Asia currently faces multiple challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of high-skilled talent, and relatively low trade facilitation levels. We aspire to transition from traditional markets to innovation-driven markets," stated Chandi Raj Dhakal, Acting President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He expressed the expectation of enhancing cooperation with Sichuan in think tank collaborations, education exchanges, and talent development, as well as promoting agricultural modernization, railway/aviation infrastructure, and digital transformation.

The cooperation has progressed beyond verbal invitations to substantive advancements, with concrete achievements already materializing during the conference.

"Sichuan enterprises aspire to expand overseas but remain hesitant, primarily due to high communication costs and customer acquisition expenses," Yuan Ye, Executive President of Panda Overseas Digital Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd., told the press. To address this challenge, the company signed a cooperation agreement with the Thai Chinese Business Trade Center during the conference, committing to "leverage AI, big data and blockchain technologies to establish a government procurement platform that will help Sichuan enterprises rapidly and accurately match with procurement opportunities in Thailand." Additionally, the company plans to rapidly establish procurement platforms serving the government and private sectors, covering South and Southeast Asia.