Chonburi province, as Thailand's City of Charm, will showcase its unique allure to the world at the upcoming 12th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) to be held in Nanning, China, this September.

Along with Chonburi province of Thailand, some other cities in China and nine other ASEAN member states, including Hong Kong of China, Bandar Seri Begawan of Brunei, Phnom Penh of Cambodia, Kepulauan Riau of Indonesia, Oudomxay of Lao PDR, Malacca of Malaysia, Dawei of Myanmar, Zamboanga city of the Philippines, Singapore and Dong Thap province of Vietnam will also showcase their distinctive characteristics as cities of charm.

Chonburi province will hold an inaugural ceremony for its City of Charm Pavilion and organize business promotion programs during the 12th CAEXPO. As the City of Charm of the CAEXPO Country of Honor, Chonburi will promote its abundant natural resources, beautiful beaches and clean air. With industrial parks and beautiful fishing villages, not only is it a gateway to the east coast of Thailand, but it is also the center point for eastern coastal development projects. Moreover, thanks to its special local flavor, delicious food and interesting traditions, Chonburi is a popular resort among tourists. As the City of Charm, Chonburi will have more opportunities to exchange and cooperate with its counterparts in both China and other ASEAN countries.

The Pavilion of Cities of Charm is one of the major pavilions of the CAEXPO, which was first launched at the 2nd CAEXPO, with an aim to comprehensively showcase the business opportunities in participating cities from China and ASEAN in the fields of tourism, culture, education, science and technology and outspread the country-to-country cooperation to cities.

This pavilion has grown into an important platform for the cities of charm to showcase their business opportunities and unique charm. This year is important for the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, commonly referred to as the 'Belt and Road Initiative', and it also marks the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Year.

Countries like Thailand along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road boast unique advantages, as they enjoy geographical proximity, cultural affinity and long-term friendly cooperation with China. Driven by The Belt and Road Initiative, Thailand will be able to conduct more convenient and effective cooperation with the countries concerned and become a more active participant in international cooperation. A total of 115 Chinese and ASEAN cities have participated in the previous 11 CAEXPOs as cities of charm, effectively promoting productive and mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation among the cities involved.

So far, eight cities of Thailand were showcased in previous CAEXPOs as the City of Charm, including Chieng Mai (twice), Khon Kaen (twice), Chonburi province (twice), Phuket, Samut Prakan, Chiang Rai, Trat, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.