Xu Ningning: China and ASEAN have been each other's largest trading partners for six consecutive years

Beijing, February 5th (Xinhua) -- In 2026, China and ASEAN will celebrate the 5th anniversary of the establishment of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The continuously deepening economic and trade ties between China and ASEAN have injected momentum and confidence into the regional economy in the complex international situation.

Recently, Xu Ningning, Chairman of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) Industry Cooperation Committee and Chief Business Expert of China ASEAN, stated in an interview with China News Service that China and ASEAN have been each other's largest trading partners for six consecutive years. China and ASEAN are geographically close and interdependent, making them indispensable and important partners for each other.

China and ASEAN are each other's largest trading partners and important investment partners. As of now, China has maintained its position as the largest trading partner of ASEAN for 17 consecutive years, and ASEAN has remained China's largest trading partner for 6 consecutive years. The two sides have close investment cooperation. In recent years, China has become the largest source of foreign investment for multiple ASEAN member countries. The implementation of the "zero tariff" policy at Hainan Free Trade Port has become a prominent new highlight of China ASEAN cooperation.

Specifically, by 2025, the total import and export value between China and ASEAN will exceed one trillion US dollars, with a growth rate of 7.4%. Among them, Vietnam accounted for $296.1 billion, an increase of 13.7%, ranking first; Ranked second with Malaysia at $191.7 billion, a decrease of 9.6%; Ranked third with Indonesia at $167.5 billion, an increase of 13.4%; Compared to Thailand's 153.3 billion US dollars, an increase of 14.4%; $119.3 billion compared to Singapore, an increase of 7.5%; $72.3 billion with the Philippines, an increase of 1%; Cambodia has a trade volume of 22.3 billion US dollars, an increase of 25%, making it the ASEAN country with the highest trade growth with China by 2025; With Myanmar's 19.4 billion US dollars, an increase of 19.1%; $9.8 billion with Laos, an increase of 19.3%; $2.7 billion compared to Brunei, a decrease of 3%; Compared to East Timor, the amount is 300 million US dollars, an increase of 22.5%.

In 2026, ASEAN's economic growth is expected to exceed the world's average economic growth rate. According to the latest forecast from the ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), Southeast Asia's economic growth is expected to show a differentiated development trend in 2026. Vietnam's GDP is expected to grow by 7.6%, the Philippines by 5.3%, Cambodia by 5.1%, Indonesia by 5%, Laos by 4.6%, Malaysia by 4.4%, Singapore by 3%, Myanmar by 2.5%, Thailand by 1.7%, and Brunei by 1.6%. The economic growth rate of Timor Leste in 2026 is predicted by the International Monetary Fund to increase by 3.3%.

Xu Ningning pointed out that technological innovation fields such as artificial intelligence and digital economy have become the focus of attention and cooperation between China and ASEAN. In January 2026, the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting adopted the Hanoi Declaration on Digital Cooperation and the China ASEAN Action Plan for Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Ecosystem (2026-2030), establishing a cooperation framework for regional digital economy development. China is promoting the alignment between the 15th Five Year Plan and the ASEAN Digital Master Plan 2030.

In the future, bilateral and multilateral cooperation will develop in synergy. The Action Plan for the China ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030) has begun to be promoted, and the two sides are gradually deepening the implementation of joint statements, memorandums of cooperation, industry business association cooperation mechanisms, and major project cooperation consensus. At the same time, both sides are actively expanding third-party cooperation, and the trilateral cooperation between China, ASEAN, and the Gulf Cooperation Council is injecting new momentum into the common development of all parties through innovation.

In addition, by 2025, the total trade value between China and other RCEP member countries will reach 13.85 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%, higher than the overall growth rate of China's foreign trade during the same period, fully demonstrating the institutional dividends brought by the free trade zone mechanism. RCEP has established the world's largest free trade area. China and ASEAN should jointly promote the construction of RCEP, create a unified regional market with a more open attitude, promote the upgrading of RCEP with more active actions, maintain the multilateral trading system with more firm determination, and expand external cooperation space while deepening internal cooperation.

Xu Ningning stated that 2026 marks the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the China ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Both sides should take this as an opportunity to build mutual trust, deepen integration, and consolidate consensus. Standing at a new starting point, China and ASEAN work hand in hand to forge ahead and jointly build a future of development.