The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo wrapped up successfully, and the Pinglu Canal officially opened to navigation, with both hailed as a "Golden Platform" and a "Golden Waterway" that will open a new chapter in China-ASEAN cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

Guo was responding to a question from CGTN about the outcomes of the expo and the canal's opening.

"The China-ASEAN Expo is a flagship platform for China-ASEAN cooperation," Guo said. Over the past 23 years, the Expo has seen China-ASEAN cooperation advance from the "Golden Decade" to the "Diamond Decade" and upgrade to the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 (CAFTA 3.0), he noted.

This year, for the first time, the Expo set up an area tailored to ASEAN countries' needs and released a list of ASEAN demands aimed at precisely matching ASEAN's needs with China's strengths. The Expo also featured a Pinglu Canal exhibition area.

The canal's opening to navigation will significantly cut the shipping distance from Southwest China to ASEAN countries, opening a new route for bilateral trade, Guo said.

"China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to implement CAFTA 3.0 and build an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future," he added.