China’s exports-imports with ASEAN surpass 1 trillion USD in 2025

China–ASEAN economic - trade ties are driven by strong internal momentum and fueling a new cycle of growth, according to Chinese experts.

Beijing (VNA) – China’s total exports-imports with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) surpassed 1 trillion USD in 2025, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.

Chinese experts told China News Service that China–ASEAN economic - trade ties are driven by strong internal momentum and fueling a new cycle of growth.

Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute for International Studies under the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said despite interference from major outside powers, many Chinese exports to ASEAN are irreplaceable. As a result, bilateral trade is expected to keep growing, with imbalances likely to narrow through coordinated efforts on both sides.

Meanwhile, Lei Xiaohua, Deputy Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies under the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, said China’s industrial upgrading and investment would strengthen domestic production capacity, optimise the structure and quality of ASEAN exports to China, and boost more balanced bilateral trade.

Sharing a similar view to Hu, Lei predicted that three “new pillars” of future China–ASEAN trade could emerge, including AI application scenarios, embodied robotics, and breakthrough pharmaceuticals, which would drive substantial growth in trade volumes.

Xu Ningning, Chairman of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Industrial Cooperation Committee, also pointed out that the deep implementation of the pact has yielded substantial gains for regional collaboration. The China–ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, he said, will create synergies with RCEP, driving further upgrade in ties.

Looking ahead, experts noted that 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the China–ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signaling a new phase in the upgrading and strengthening of bilateral ties. The vitality of economic-trade ties is expected to intensify, contributing to both global and regional growth./.

VNA