China and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are becoming more closely intertwined through trade, supply chains and consumer markets, with their economic ties extending beyond traditional areas of cooperation, said market watchers and business leaders.

　　That shift is gathering momentum as the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, or CAFTA 3.0, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, are expected to lower trade barriers and make it easier for companies to operate across regional markets.

　　As the two sides seek to inject new impetus into regional and global economic growth, China is working with ASEAN members to bring the upgraded protocol into force at an early date, according to information released this month by the Ministry of Commerce.

　　The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo, which is scheduled to be held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, from Thursday through Monday, will focus on opportunities arising from CAFTA 3.0 and promote cooperation in new areas including the digital economy, green development and supply chain connectivity.

　　Xu Liping, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Center for Southeast Asian Studies, said the China-ASEAN relationship is increasingly being shaped by the way production networks have spread across the region.

　　Chinese companies are sourcing, manufacturing and selling more within Southeast Asia, while ASEAN businesses are gaining greater access to China's vast consumer and industrial markets, Xu said.

　　Lin Honghong, vice-chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, noted that CAFTA 3.0 is extending business cooperation beyond traditional trade and investment to new areas such as the digital and green economies.