The China–ASEAN Cooperation and Exchange Conference on Poverty Alleviation Through Science and Technology was held in Nanning, Guangxi, from May 12 to 14, 2026. The conference was hosted by China Rural Technology Development Center and organized by the Guangxi–ASEAN Technology Transfer Center. Sun Chuanfan, Director General of China Rural Technology Development Center, Mo Bingyun, Second-Level Inspector of the Science and Technology Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and invited guests from the ASEAN-China Center and ASEAN member states attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Deng Miaohong, Director General of Guangxi Foreign-Funded Rural Revitalization Projects Development Center, delivered a thematic presentation on China’s Achievements and Experience in Poverty Alleviation. A representative from China Rural Technology Development Center shared China’s experience and practices in reducing poverty through science and technology and in building a science and technology commissioner system. 

The conference was part of broader efforts to pragmatically advance the BRI Special Cooperation Program on Poverty Alleviation Through Science and Technology. Over the three-day event, participants engaged in a wide range of exchanges and activities. Through thematic presentations, the conference showcased China’s remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, its wisdom and approaches to global poverty reduction, and the important role of science and technology in supporting these efforts, along with relevant best practices. Participants introduced 148 advanced practical technologies developed by Chinese universities and research institutes that are well suited to ASEAN member states, with 10 technologies demonstrated on site. These attracted strong interest from ASEAN delegates. Participants also visited a grape research and demonstration base, a smart fishery innovation demonstration base, and a soilless blueberry cultivation base at the Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences. There, they shared experience and outcomes in applying scientific and technological innovation to support poverty-alleviation industries. 

Both Chinese and international participants noted that the event provided a valuable platform and opportunities for China–ASEAN cooperation in poverty alleviation through science and technology, and strengthened understanding of China’s experience in poverty alleviation and the development needs of participating countries. It laid a solid foundation for broader and more substantive cooperation between China and ASEAN in this field. During the event, Thai representatives and delegates from Fujian discussed the feasibility of introducing edible mushroom cultivation technologies. Representatives from Myanmar and Laos showed strong interest in upland rice production technologies. The Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences and delegates from countries like Timor-Leste reached preliminary understandings about further cooperation in science and technology.  

The three-day event was held in a hybrid format. More than 140 people participated in the event, including officials from relevant government departments, researchers from universities and research institutes, and representatives of agricultural companies from ASEAN member states such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, as well as from Chinese provinces including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou.