NANNING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- More than 350 representatives from China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) discussed promoting regional green development at a forum held Tuesday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Participants to the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Forum exchanged views on topics including eco-city development, sustainable management of the marine ecosystem, regional green growth, climate change and technological innovation of the green industry.

China and ASEAN members are faced with the arduous task of pursuing economic development and environmental protection, said Song Xiaozhi, an official with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The two sides should promote practical cooperation, such as establishing environmental big data platforms, to upgrade the cooperation mechanism, Song added.

Initiated in 2011, the forum is one of the warm-up events of the incoming 16th China-ASEAN Expo slated for Sept. 21 to 24.

As China's reform and opening-up go deeper, the country has seen closer ties with ASEAN countries. The total volume of trade between the two sides hit a record high of 587.87 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 14.1 percent year on year.