By Staff Reporter Meng Fanhua

Since 2004, the China-ASEAN Expo has been held in Nanning in 9 successive years, and the “Nanning Channel” which has facilitated China-ASEAN cooperation has taken its shape. 2012 marked the 10th anniversary of signing “Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations” as well as the 2nd anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone. As a part of the 9th China-ASEAN Expo, “2012 China-ASEAN Exhibition and Forum on Vocational Education” was held on September 21 in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Lu Xin, Deputy Minister of Education, Li Kang, Vice Chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Kongsy Sengmany, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR, Deputy Minister of Education of Vietnam, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia and Secretaries of the Ministry of Education of Indonesia attended the forum. The forum, taking the theme of “Developing Vocational Education and Flourishing Regional Economy”, gathered 300 people involved in vocational education management, school runners and researchers, and explored the advancement role of vocational education in the booming of regional economy, reflecting common wishes for joint success. The forum filled the vacuum of China-ASEAN expo and thus represented a major strategy for education to serve China’s diplomacy to neighboring countries, development of China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone and educational exchanges between ASEAN countries and China.（Annex）