NANNING — The 17th China-ASEAN Expo has been postponed until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a meeting of senior officials held on July 9.

The expo was to be held from September 18 to 21 in Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Started in 2004, the expo is an important platform to promote trade and relations between China and ASEAN.

In the first five months of this year, the total volume of trade between China and ASEAN countries reached around $242.42 billion, up one percent year-on-year, according to Peng Gang, head of the Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Commerce.