Vientiane: Stretching across southern China and facing Southeast Asia, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is emerging as a vibrant bridge between China and ASEAN. Established in 1958, Guangxi is home to more than 57 million people and China’s largest ethnic minority population.
According to Lao News Agency, twelve indigenous ethnic groups, including the Zhuang, Yao, Miao, and Dong, reside in Guangxi. The Zhuang alone number more than 15 million, accounting for 32.8% of the region’s population, making them China’s largest ethnic minority group. Today, Guangxi combines its rich cultural diversity with rapid economic development. In 2025, its GDP reached 2.63 trillion yuan, growing 5.1% year on year, while foreign trade exceeded 800 billion yuan, an increase of 8.4%. Overseas investment is also expanding, including new projects in ASEAN and Belt and Road countries.
At the heart of this transformation is Nanning, the regional capital popularly known as the “Green City.” Home to around nine million people, Nanning
enjoys an annual average temperature of 21.6°C, with forests covering nearly half of its territory. Its green credentials have earned international recognition, including the UN-Habitat Award. However, Nanning is more than a green and livable city. It is Guangxi’s political, economic, cultural, scientific, educational, financial, and information center, as well as a key gateway linking China with ASEAN. Six ASEAN countries have established general consulates in the city, while Nanning has sister-city relations with 31 foreign cities.
In 2025, Nanning’s GDP reached 621.246 billion yuan, up 4.7%, while its imports and exports surged 12.4% to 104.437 billion yuan. New energy vehicles, batteries, semiconductors, and aluminum processing are among its emerging industries. A recent visit by more than 20 ASEAN media representatives, organized by CIPCC, offered an opportunity to see this transformation firsthand and exchange views on economic, cultural, and tourism cooperation, particularly under the Belt and Road In
itiative and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.
Further south, Qinzhou illustrates Guangxi’s maritime ambitions. Located on the northern coast of the Beibu Gulf, the city is a major hub of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and a departure port of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Known as the “Millennium Pottery Capital” and “Home of Dolphins,” Qinzhou combines history, industry, and strategic geography. From Nanning’s green urban development to Qinzhou’s expanding maritime links, Guangxi is building a modern connection between China and ASEAN-one that brings together trade, culture, tourism, and people while opening new possibilities along the new Silk Road.
