China-ASEAN Trade Hits Record $1.05 Trillion in 2025, Up 24.7% in Early 2026

On September 1, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to brief on China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation and the upcoming 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. In 2025, bilateral trade between China and ASEAN exceeded $1 trillion for the first time, reaching $1.05 trillion, up 7.4% year on year. China maintained its position as ASEAN's largest trading partner for the 17th consecutive year, while ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner for the sixth straight year. From January to July 2026, total trade between China and ASEAN reached $744.41 billion, up 24.7% year on year, accounting for 21.8% of China's total foreign trade during the period.

On investment cooperation, as of July 2026, cumulative two-way investment between China and ASEAN and the cumulative value of engineering contracting completed by Chinese enterprises in ASEAN both exceeded $515 billion. The East Coast Rail Link in Malaysia has progressed beyond 94%, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia has carried over 15 million passengers, and the China-Laos 500 kV interconnection project has been officially launched. The China-Malaysia and China-Indonesia "Two Countries, Twin Parks" projects and the China-Laos cross-border economic cooperation zone are advancing steadily, deepening industrial chain and value chain integration. The Protocol to Upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA 3.0) has been formally signed, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is being implemented with high quality, and subregional cooperation under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and the China-ASEAN East Growth Area continues to deepen.

Looking ahead, China-ASEAN trade cooperation will focus on three areas. First, unlocking the dividends of openness and cooperation by pushing for the early entry into force of the FTA 3.0 protocol, advancing cooperation on rules and technical standards in digital economy, green development, e-commerce, and cross-border finance, and supporting pilot free trade zones in launching more robust opening-up trials for ASEAN-oriented trade. Second, fostering new growth drivers for trade by tapping the potential of traditional sectors, expanding exports of quality ASEAN goods to China, and developing services trade, digital trade, and green trade to move bilateral trade toward the mid-to-high end of the value chain.

The "Shop in China," "Export to China," and "Invest in China" brand campaigns will also deepen cooperation with ASEAN. The Ministry of Commerce, together with relevant departments, has introduced a version 2.0 policy for departure tax refunds, allowing ASEAN businesspeople and travelers attending the upcoming expo to enjoy more convenient shopping and consumption experiences. Thailand is the annual theme country for the 2026 "Export to China" series, and a dedicated event was held in Thailand on July 9, where enterprises from both sides conducted in-depth exchanges. The ministry will organize around 100 events under ten themes for the "Export to China" campaign. On investment promotion, it will upgrade open cooperation platforms such as pilot free trade zones, national economic and technological development zones, and key exhibitions, strengthen targeted industrial matching and efficient project facilitation, and support ASEAN enterprises in investing in China.

The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will be held in Nanning, Guangxi, from September 17 to 21, 2026, co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, ASEAN member states' economic and trade authorities, and the ASEAN Secretariat. Under the theme "Sharing 3.0 Opportunities, Creating a Better Life," the expo will focus on FTA development and showcase new achievements and highlights in China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation.