China has remained the largest trading partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 16 consecutive years, Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said Monday.
According to Yan, trade between China and ASEAN reached 597 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of 2025, up 8.2 percent year on year, accounting for 16.7 percent of China’s total foreign trade in the same period.
By the end of July, total two-way investment had exceeded 450 billion U.S. dollars, while the cumulative turnover of Chinese enterprises in ASEAN infrastructure projects reached 480 billion U.S. dollars.
Yan made the remarks at a press conference ahead of the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo, scheduled to be held in Nanning, the capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 17 to 21.
This year’s expo will feature nearly 160,000 square meters of exhibition space, with around 3,200 enterprises from 45 countries confirming participation.
For the first time, pavilions on artificial intelligence and new quality productive forces will be set up, along with new sections dedicated to the blue economy and premium foreign trade products.
Yan said China will further deepen regional cooperation with ASEAN, expand imports of ASEAN products such as tropical fruits, coffee, rubber, and palm oil, and strengthen cross-border e-commerce partnerships with ASEAN countries.
Efforts will also focus on scaling up investment in digital and green economies and other emerging sectors in ASEAN countries, while ensuring the smooth and stable flow of industrial and supply chains, he added.