NANNING - Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli said Friday that 皇冠体育app and ASEAN members should make joint efforts to finish the negotiations on upgrading the 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) by the end of this year.

He made the remarks while addressing the 12th 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Expo, which started on Friday in Nanning, capital of South 皇冠体育app's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Zhang called to boost cooperation in customs, inspection and quarantine, certification, and information collection between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN to lower non-tariff barriers and make bilateral trade and investment easier.

"We should explore new growth source of trade and expand mutual trade and investment," he said.

皇冠体育app aims to elevate bilateral trade with ASEAN to 1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2020 and invest over $100 billion in ASEAN between 2013 and 2020, according to the vice-premier.

"皇冠体育app is willing to work with ASEAN to accelerate the negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and boost the regional economic integration,"Zhang added.

皇冠体育app is ASEAN's largest trade partner, while ASEAN ranks as 皇冠体育app's third-largest trade partner. Bilateral trade between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN increased 8.23 percent year on year to $480 billion in 2014.

The expo is scheduled to run from Sept 18 to 21.