ASEAN is expanding its coverage to more countries related to the Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan announced last week that it will attend the 14th China-ASEAN Exposition this month as a specially-invited partner.

This is the first time a country along the Silk Road Economic Belt has participated in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as guest partner. The exposition will set up 20 booths for Kazakhstan to showcase its specialty products and will host the first "China-Kazakhstan Local Cooperation Forum". The first deputy prime minister of Kazakhstan will attend.

The specially-invited partner is a new mechanism at this year's exposition, designed to enhance the Belt and Road Initiative and expand ASEAN's coverage from the Maritime Silk Road to the Silk Road Economic Belt, according to Yang Yanyan, deputy secretary-general of China-ASEAN Exposition.

It will be the first time that the exposition has set up a Belt and Road exhibition area , inviting enterprises from Egypt, Sri Lanka, Poland and 10 more Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership members and the Belt and Road Initiative-related countries.

Rakhymzhan Rakhimov, counselor at the Kazakhstan embassy in China, said the country's participation will provide new impetus for Sino-Kazakh relations, deepen Kazakhstan's relationship with ASEAN countries and bring the nations' mutual trust to a new level.

Yang said Kazakhstan could take this opportunity to further enhance its national image, expand its international influence and deepen cooperation with China and ASEAN countries to jointly promote the integration of the regional economy. The exhibition will help Kazakhstan promote its specialties in agriculture, culture, tourism and other areas, and provide services for trade negotiation.

Kazakhstan is where the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed and is also one of China's important trade partners. Yu Hongchi, an official of China's Ministry of Commerce, said the country's participation can not only reinforce cooperation with China, but also help Kazakhstan expand its business and markets within ASEAN countries.

In the future, Yu hoped China and Kazakhstan could further boost the cooperation in, for example, the agriculture, railway and telecommunication fields.

The annual exposition will be held from September 12 to 15 in Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.