Guangxi seeks to become China Asean hub

The Chinese government is trying to increase trade with southeast Asia as part of a strategy to boost the economies of poorer southwestern regions such as Guangxi province. It is promoting investment in Qinzhou port on the Guangxi coast to help achieve this goal. But mounting maritime disputes in the South China Sea mean the prospects for the largest free trade area in the developing world remain unclear. The FT's Demetri Sevastopulo visits Qinzhou port and a China-Asean trade fair in Guangxi to see how the region is progressing