The first China-ASEAN Expo, which was held in 2004, was an eye opener for many in the Chinese business community, and especially for Ma Zhaojian, as it encouraged him to go to Vietnam and apply his entrepreneurial skills there.

But much to Ma's disappointment, success there was elusive. As he tried selling solar water heaters to Vietnamese consumers, he often got suspicious eyes and the cold shoulder.

"You mean, you just expose it to the sun and then you get hot water?" local people said, many of whom were still burning firewood to heat water.

Yet Ma persevered, and eventually, with help from local dealers, he converted more and more Vietnamese into loyal customers.

And Ma didn't stop in Vietnam. He has expanded his business to other ASEAN countries, such as Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

"ASEAN has a vigorously expanding market for green products, as people's environmental awareness is growing by the day and the governments of ASEAN countries are paying more attention on the development of the green economy," Ma said.

The ongoing 8th China-ASEAN Expo, with the theme of environmental protection cooperation, is providing a platform for experts, officials and business people like Ma an opportunity to gather together and explore ways to boost the development of the green economy in China and ASEAN.

"As our economies continue to integrate and expand, we must not allow them to do so in a way that will consign future generations to wealth without the wonders of the natural world," said Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said at the opening ceremony. "We can build an ice rink or put a roof on a football stadium, but we cannot yet do the same with glaciers or the ozone layer."

The six-day Expo, held in Nanning, capital of southwest Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will run from Oct. 21 to 26.

The ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Forum, with a theme of innovation for green development, was held on the sideline at the expo on Saturday. The forum was attended by government officials and entrepreneurs from China and ASEAN.

Misran Bin Karmain, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, said ASEAN countries, to some degree, have been developing their economies at the expense of the environment.

"We need to change our development patterns and seek sustainable development," Misran said, adding that ASEAN is looking forward to cooperating with China in terms of technology and policies regarding the green economy.

Li Ganjie, vice-minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, said ASEAN and China, as newly-industrialized economies, all face common challenges in environmental protection and economic development.

Achieving sustainable development has always been at the top of the agenda for China-ASEAN dialogue and cooperation, Li said.