A high profile exposition co-hosted by China and ten southeast Asian countries opened in Nanning on Tuesday to make final preparations for Asia's largest free trade area (FTA) amid the lingering global economic downturn.

The China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo is a platform to promote exchanges and cooperation in trade and investments between China and ASEAN countries.

This is the sixth of the annual event. Main exhibition halls are decorated with glittering signs and patterns of the new FTA, which will be realized by January 1, 2010.

The FTA will cover a population of 1.9 billion in this region and create a combined GDP of nearly 6 trillion US dollars, only next to the North American FTA and European FTA.

Representing the first free trade area agreement signed by China and other countries, the CAFTA would provide zero tariff on 90 percent of products traded between China and ASEAN and other favorable policies on trade and investment.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang declared the opening of the Expo in Nanning, capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.