Looking to attract international clients, a senior executive flew in from Shenzhen to attend the 12th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, which kicked off on September 18.

Wu Yibing is a director at E-Linique Tech, a Shenzhen-based company that is taking part as an exhibitor at the event.

"Business was not good this year," said Wu. "We hope to seek some cooperation or business opportunities with ASEAN countries through the expo."

He has placed high expectations on the expo, hoping it would bring international business to his company.

With the slowdown of China's economic growth, many Chinese firms are exploring new markets overseas to offset the loss of revenue in domestic market.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which covers Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Cambodia, has become a popular target as most of its members are developing at a high speed.

E-Linique Tech specializes in producing mainframe for microcomputers. The product retails at 688 yuan ($108) and 818 yuan on the company's official website.

"Cost of microcomputers is much lower than other computers, which is suitable for emerging ASEAN markets," said Wu.

In the exhibition halls of ASEAN member countries, meanwhile, exhibitors are surrounded by numerous visitors who are eager to get a glimpse of the foreign goods.

A vendor from Thailand who sells pain-relieving medicine said she didn't expect such a large number of visitors. "China-ASEAN Expo is really an effective platform for businessmen and people in the region to get to know each other and for promoting bilateral trade," she said.

"Through the platform, we are able to place our products in front of Chinese customers and get them to know in a direct way. The expo plays an active role in helping us expand the international market."