In 2025, bilateral trade between China and ASEAN surpassed the $1 trillion mark, representing approximately 17% of China's total foreign trade volume, solidifying the partnership as the most successful and dynamic example of regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.

During a press conference held by the State Council Information Office this morning, officials from the Ministry of Commerce outlined the strategic roadmap for further advancement. The ministry announced that future efforts will concentrate on three primary areas to enhance the quality and level of China-ASEAN trade cooperation. Wang Liping, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, stated that China will actively push for the early implementation of the newly signed China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol.

Furthermore, the focus will be on advancing cooperation in key sectors such as the digital economy and green development, while also fostering collaboration on governance rules and technical standards for e-commerce and cross-border finance. Concurrently, China plans to vigorously develop trade in services, digital trade, and green trade, aiming to expand the bilateral flow of high-value-added products and services to propel mutual trade toward the higher end of the value chain.

China also intends to broaden its independent opening-up efforts by steadily and orderly increasing market access in service sectors like telecommunications and healthcare. Additionally, Beijing will continue to implement the zero-tariff preferential arrangements for least developed countries that have diplomatic ties with China, creating favorable conditions for ASEAN nations to boost their exports to the Chinese market.