Published on: 2026-09-01
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Beijing, September 1 /Xinhua/ — China’s trade volume with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) surpassed 1 trillion USD for the first time in 2025, reaching 1.05 trillion USD, an increase of 7.4 percent compared to the previous year, said China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong on Tuesday.
China has remained ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China’s largest trading partner for six consecutive years, Yan Dong noted.
In the first seven months of 2026, the total trade volume between China and ASEAN reached 744.41 billion USD, increasing by 24.7% year-on-year, accounting for 21.8% of China’s total foreign trade during this period.
Bilateral investment cooperation between the two parties continues to gain momentum. As of July this year, both the total volume of bilateral investments between China and ASEAN and the total turnover of projects implemented by Chinese enterprises in ASEAN countries have exceeded 515 billion US dollars, Yan Dong noted.
Yan Dong made these comments at a press conference dedicated to the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo, which will take place from September 17 to 21 in Nanning, the administrative center of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region /South China/.
More than 2,200 Chinese enterprises and nearly 1,000 companies from ASEAN countries will participate in the exhibition. For the first time, a special exhibition zone will be organized, showcasing the technological and applied needs of ASEAN countries, enabling Chinese enterprises to establish business contacts purposefully based on these presented needs.
As part of this year’s exhibition, the exhibition area dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), which was first opened last year, will be expanded. It will showcase advanced AI technologies and applications for consumers, businesses, governments, and international organizations. In addition, for the first time, an “AI hypermarket” will be launched, featuring more than 400 product models available for on-site examination and immediate purchase.
In the future, China will actively promote the early entry into force and implementation of the Protocol on the Upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area to version 3.0, signed in October 2025, and will facilitate the development of cooperation in key areas such as the digital economy and environmentally sustainable development, Wang Liping, official representative of the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC, said at the conference.
According to him, the country intends to expand the import of high-quality goods from ASEAN countries in order to increase the volume of bilateral trade, as well as to explore new areas of cooperation in promising fields, paying special attention to the development of trade in services, digital trade, and “green” trade. -0-
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