The Philippines leads its largest-ever CAEXPO delegation in 2026, signing a trade MOU with Hunan province and serving as country of honor while Cebu is featured as Province of Charm.
The Philippines mounted its largest-ever delegation to the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) from Sept. 17 to 21, 2026, securing a trade memorandum with Hunan province and serving as the event’s Country of Honor.
The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) coordinated the delegation, which brought together more than 400 delegates and 73 enterprises representing industries including agrifood, fashion, lifestyle, home and personal care.
Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque led the delegation alongside Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz, Consul General Iric Arribas, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Philip Young and Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro.
The DTI Regional Operations Group and the DA Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service mobilized participants from across the country.
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) vice president for MSME development Melanie Ng signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade-Hunan Sub-Council (CCPIT Hunan) International Relations Department Director Wei Xiaobo during the expo.
The agreement establishes a framework for exchanging trade and investment information, facilitating business matching and organizing business missions between Philippine and Hunan enterprises, and opens opportunities in advanced manufacturing, agricultural technology, food processing, engineering and renewable energy.
The Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou facilitated the partnership and will support its implementation through investment promotion activities and business missions.
PCCI, led by chairman Jude Aguilar, also brought a delegation to the China-Philippines Business Leaders Dialogue, which included representatives from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The dialogue built on PCCI’s expanding cooperation with CCPIT counterparts in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Hunan. PCCI Director Bernardo Benedicto and Secretary General Ruben Pascual also attended.
The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII), led by president Victor Lim, promoted Philippine exports, tourism and investment opportunities throughout the expo.
As Province of Charm, Cebu highlighted its tourism attractions, manufacturing capabilities, creative industries, investment opportunities and strategic connectivity. Baricuatro met with Guangxi Governor Wei Tao to discuss revitalizing the Cebu-Guangxi sister-province relationship and explore cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
CAEXPO 2026 coincided with the opening of the 134.2-kilometer Pinglu Canal in Guangxi, a river-to-sea waterway linking the Xijiang River system with the Beibu Gulf as part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.
The canal is expected to shorten shipping routes from southwestern China by more than 560 kilometers and generate significant logistics savings.