Over 3,000 enterprises are expected to attend the upcoming 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to information revealed at a press conference Wednesday.

Scheduled from Sept. 24 to 28, the expo boasts an exhibition area of nearly 200,000 square meters this year, with Malaysia as the country of honor, said Tan Pichuang, vice chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

This year's expo will add a new section for strategic emerging industries, showcasing the latest developments and technologies in fields such as digital technology, new energy and intelligent connected vehicles, said Vice Minister of Commerce Li Fei.

Also, the United Arab Emirates will be a Special Partner Country, the first time the expo has invited a Gulf Cooperation Council member to participate, Li said.

Since the first China-ASEAN Expo was held in 2004, the event has actively built a platform for ASEAN enterprises to enter the Chinese market.

Official data shows that China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. In the first seven months of this year, bilateral trade reached 552 billion U.S. dollars, up 7.7 percent year on year.