China and ASEAN: Bilateral relations built on trade, trust, and togetherness


Editor's note: Emma Ho is a CGTN Biz reporter from Malaysia. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

The relationship between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has become one of the most dynamic and enduring partnerships in global trade. Within this framework, Malaysia plays a pivotal role. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, while Malaysia is China's second-largest trading partner in ASEAN and its top source of imports within the bloc. Succeeding the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Malaysia is in a unique position to help steer the region's economic agenda and to strengthen the bridge between China and Southeast Asia further.

China-ASEAN trade

This year, ASEAN retained its position as China's largest trading partner in the first quarter, with total trade reaching 1.71 trillion yuan ($232.7 billion), up 7.1 percent year on year and accounting for 16.6 percent of China's total foreign trade, according to data from China's General Administration of Customs. 

This partnership thrives on synergy. More than 90 percent of China-ASEAN trade is in manufactured goods. In Q1 alone, China's exports to ASEAN of flat panel display modules, automotive parts, and lithium batteries grew by more than 20 percent. On the import side, ASEAN continues to supply key components for China's tech and manufacturing sectors, including parts for data processing equipment, printed circuits, and textile raw materials. These numbers reveal the depth of the regional industrial chain, a sign of true economic integration.

Agricultural trade also plays a critical role. ASEAN has been China's largest agricultural trade partner for eight consecutive years. In the first quarter of 2025, China imported 52.65 billion yuan worth of agricultural products from ASEAN (up 13.8 percent) and exported 37.92 billion yuan (up 1.4 percent). This two-way flow reflects not only trade volume, but also the growing alignment in food security, supply diversity, and rural development between the two sides.

China-ASEAN connection

Infrastructure connectivity, a key enabler of trade, is seeing robust growth. Freight transport between China and ASEAN rose significantly across all channels in Q1 — 37 percent by rail, 23.2 percent by road, 5.8 percent by sea, and 16.4 percent by air. The China-Laos Railway alone has handled over 50,000 freight trains since its launch just over three years ago. Coupled with China's new western land-sea corridor, the region is rapidly becoming a seamless trade network — a true logistics hub connecting inland China to ASEAN ports and markets.

In Malaysia, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) stands as a flagship example of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation with China. Once completed, the ECRL will link the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, reducing logistics costs and opening new corridors for regional trade. It not only supports Malaysia's domestic connectivity, but also enhances its role as a strategic gateway for Chinese goods entering Southeast Asia and beyond. Projects like the ECRL illustrate how infrastructure collaboration can generate long-term economic dividends and bring BRI cooperation closer to the daily lives of ASEAN citizens.

Deepening regional economic integration 

Beyond economics, there's a deep cultural and historical bond. China and ASEAN nations are not just trade partners — we are neighbors with intertwined histories and shared futures. The conclusion of negotiations for the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 signals a new chapter, focusing on digital trade, green development, supply chain resilience, and harmonization of standards. These emerging fields offer fresh opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration.

As someone from Malaysia — a country long committed to regional cooperation and now tasked with leading ASEAN's secretariat — I believe we are entering a pivotal moment. Malaysia has long branded itself as the "gateway to ASEAN." Today, it also stands as a gateway to deeper China-ASEAN collaboration.

In an era of global uncertainty, this partnership offers stability. In a world facing protectionism, it champions openness. And in a time when global supply chains are being reshaped, it offers a model for resilience and regional interdependence. The China-ASEAN relationship isn't just surviving the headwinds of deglobalization — it's charting a new course forward.