China-Asean Trade Tops $1 Trillion in 2025, Commerce Ministry Says

China-Asean trade exceeded $1 trillion in 2025, accounting for about 17% of China's total foreign trade, Wang Liping, director-general of the Asia Department at China's Ministry of Commerce, said at a State Council Information Office briefing on September 1, according to Jiemian News. Wang said bilateral trade with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore each topped $100 billion, with trade with Vietnam nearing $300 billion and trade with Malaysia close to $200 billion. Wang said China will push for the early entry into force and implementation of the China-Asean Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade protocol and fully implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. China also plans to expand cooperation in digital economy and green development, advance rules and technical standards cooperation in e-commerce and cross-border finance, and support freer trade pilot zones in China to deepen cooperation with Asean. She added that China will expand opening in telecom and healthcare services, continue zero-tariff preferential treatment for the least developed countries that have diplomatic ties with China, and work with Asean to build a stable, transparent and predictable regional business environment.