Hopes for China-ASEAN Expo to boost ties

China will expand imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to balance bilateral trade while urging cooperation in an upcoming expo after South China Sea territorial disputes caused rifts with some of the organization's 10 members, a senior commerce official said on Tuesday.

"Bilateral trade with ASEAN members is basically balanced and we started to receive a surplus in the second half of last year," Vice-Minister of Commerce Gao Yan said at a news briefing.

"But China will take active measures to expand imports from ASEAN members. That includes enhancing trade facilitation through cooperation with them in customs and quality checking." She added that China will send delegations for investment and purchase of agricultural products.