INTERNATIONAL
ASEAN remains China's No. 1 trading parter in 2025
Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 27, 2025. - REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain
BEIJING, China: The two-way trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries reached 331.05 billion U.S. dollars, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier in the first four months of 2025, data from China's General Administration of Customs showed.
AI Brief
The figure, comprising nearly 17 percent of China's total foreign trade, indicated that the highly complementary economies of the two parties form a cornerstone of regional cooperation.
The growth was primarily driven by China's exports to ASEAN countries.
In the January-April period, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia were China's top three trading partners in ASEAN.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership - or RCEP, also helped boost trade between China and ASEAN.
In addition, the successful conclusion of negotiations on Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) further marks a significant stride toward regional economic integration.
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AI Brief
- China-ASEAN trade now makes up 17% of China's total foreign trade, led by exports.
- Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia are China's top ASEAN trade partners.
- Trade growth was supported by RCEP and the new China-ASEAN Free Trade Area agreement (Version 3.0).
The figure, comprising nearly 17 percent of China's total foreign trade, indicated that the highly complementary economies of the two parties form a cornerstone of regional cooperation.
The growth was primarily driven by China's exports to ASEAN countries.
In the January-April period, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia were China's top three trading partners in ASEAN.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership - or RCEP, also helped boost trade between China and ASEAN.
In addition, the successful conclusion of negotiations on Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) further marks a significant stride toward regional economic integration.