China and ASEAN deepen cooperation: Ready for the era of "Free Trade 3.0"?

At dawn in Guangxi’s Dongxing Port, trucks loaded with goods line up for clearance, heading to markets across ASEAN.

Over the past two decades, China–ASEAN trade has surged nearly eightfold, from 105.8 billion USD dollars in 2004 to 982.3 billion USD in 2024. China has remained ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 16 years, while ASEAN has been China’s top partner for five. By July 2025, two-way investment had exceeded 450 billion dollars.

Partnerships have expanded beyond traditional trade into the digital and green economies, from the China–Laos Railway, the China–Malaysia “Two Countries, Twin Parks”, to the China–ASEAN AI Innovation Center opened this year. Cooperation in electric vehicles and solar energy continues to grow.

The upcoming Free Trade Area 3.0 will lower barriers and boost connectivity.

After 20 years of cooperation, China and ASEAN have built not only trade ties, but a mutually beneficial model of regional growth and shared prosperity.