China-ASEAN trade exceeds $1 trillion for the first time

Trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, reaching $1.05 trillion and marking a 7.4% year-on-year increase. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong reported that China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while the bloc has been China's top trading partner for six years.

The growth has accelerated in 2026, with bilateral trade reaching $744.41 billion in the first seven months of the year, a 24.7% increase compared to the same period in 2025. This volume accounts for 21.8% of China's total foreign trade during that period.

Investment cooperation also continues to rise. Through July of this year, cumulative bidirectional investment and the volume of business from projects contracted by Chinese companies in ASEAN countries exceeded $515 billion. These developments were highlighted during a press conference regarding the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo (Caexpo), scheduled for September 17–21 in Nanning, China.