Successful Outcomes from China-ASEAN Collaboration
For over thirty years, China and ASEAN have developed meaningful cooperation in numerous areas through an ongoing dialogue. The successful outcomes of the China-ASEAN partnership can be credited to joint initiatives in both "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity."
TroibNews 
Editor's note: Gu Jiayun is vice dean of the School of Asian Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CN. It has been translated from Chinese and edited for brevity and clarity.
Over the past thirty years, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have cultivated practical cooperation across diverse areas, contributing to the creation of the ASEAN Community and enhancing regional economic integration. The partnership between China and ASEAN has emerged as a prominent model of collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region.
Data from China's Ministry of Commerce indicates that bilateral trade with various ASEAN nations, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, has surpassed $100 billion for each country. China has maintained its status as ASEAN's largest trading partner for 15 years in a row, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for four consecutive years. Together, they represent over one-fifth of the global economy, playing a crucial role in both global and regional economic recovery. The achievements in China-ASEAN cooperation stem from efforts in both "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity."
"Hard connectivity" initiatives provide a robust infrastructure foundation. Chongqing and Singapore serve as the "dual hubs" of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor that China and ASEAN are developing together. This new corridor integrates multiple transportation methods—rail, road, air, and water—linking western China closely with ASEAN. Since the China-Laos Railway began operations three years ago, daily passenger traffic has surged from 20,000 to a peak of 100,000. The rail links, which connect to the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and the China Railway Express, now extend across 19 countries and regions. Similarly, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has considerably decreased travel time between Cambodia’s capital and its port, with total traffic surpassing 10 million vehicles over the last two years, averaging 13,000 vehicles daily.
In addition to land routes, China and ASEAN have engaged in "hard connectivity" projects concerning port shipping, air transport, and energy pipeline construction, enhancing the business environment in industrial parks. Economic zones like the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Zone, Long Jiang Industrial Park, and Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone have drawn numerous businesses, significantly increasing local employment and driving industrial upgrades in ASEAN nations.
"Soft connectivity" collaboration enhances institutional support and standards. The initiation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in January 2022 established the world’s largest free trade area. The fifteen member nations, including China and ASEAN countries, are utilizing the RCEP framework to open markets and facilitate regional trade and investment. In October 2024, leaders from China and ten ASEAN nations announced the completion of negotiations for Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area upgrade, reaching an agreement to create a more advanced and open free trade agreement. New chapters covering technical standards, regulations, and qualification assessment procedures under FTA 3.0 represent the highest standards among member states, paving the way for greater alignment of rules and standards between China and ASEAN. Chinese companies have long applied domestic standards in their overseas operations, collaborating with ASEAN nations. Notably, standards from China and ASEAN are increasingly converging and innovating in the digital economy and green economy sectors.
The year 2025 will mark significant milestones: the conclusion of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, and the first year of the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. As the benefits of RCEP policies materialize and the quality of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area improves, both parties will intensify their collaboration, advocate for multilateralism and free trade, and inject new energy and vitality into economic recovery, sustainable development, and shared prosperity in Asia and beyond.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
Over the past thirty years, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have cultivated practical cooperation across diverse areas, contributing to the creation of the ASEAN Community and enhancing regional economic integration. The partnership between China and ASEAN has emerged as a prominent model of collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region.
Data from China's Ministry of Commerce indicates that bilateral trade with various ASEAN nations, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, has surpassed $100 billion for each country. China has maintained its status as ASEAN's largest trading partner for 15 years in a row, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for four consecutive years. Together, they represent over one-fifth of the global economy, playing a crucial role in both global and regional economic recovery. The achievements in China-ASEAN cooperation stem from efforts in both "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity."
"Hard connectivity" initiatives provide a robust infrastructure foundation. Chongqing and Singapore serve as the "dual hubs" of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor that China and ASEAN are developing together. This new corridor integrates multiple transportation methods—rail, road, air, and water—linking western China closely with ASEAN. Since the China-Laos Railway began operations three years ago, daily passenger traffic has surged from 20,000 to a peak of 100,000. The rail links, which connect to the New Western Land-Sea Corridor and the China Railway Express, now extend across 19 countries and regions. Similarly, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway has considerably decreased travel time between Cambodia’s capital and its port, with total traffic surpassing 10 million vehicles over the last two years, averaging 13,000 vehicles daily.
In addition to land routes, China and ASEAN have engaged in "hard connectivity" projects concerning port shipping, air transport, and energy pipeline construction, enhancing the business environment in industrial parks. Economic zones like the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Zone, Long Jiang Industrial Park, and Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone have drawn numerous businesses, significantly increasing local employment and driving industrial upgrades in ASEAN nations.
"Soft connectivity" collaboration enhances institutional support and standards. The initiation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in January 2022 established the world’s largest free trade area. The fifteen member nations, including China and ASEAN countries, are utilizing the RCEP framework to open markets and facilitate regional trade and investment. In October 2024, leaders from China and ten ASEAN nations announced the completion of negotiations for Version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area upgrade, reaching an agreement to create a more advanced and open free trade agreement. New chapters covering technical standards, regulations, and qualification assessment procedures under FTA 3.0 represent the highest standards among member states, paving the way for greater alignment of rules and standards between China and ASEAN. Chinese companies have long applied domestic standards in their overseas operations, collaborating with ASEAN nations. Notably, standards from China and ASEAN are increasingly converging and innovating in the digital economy and green economy sectors.
The year 2025 will mark significant milestones: the conclusion of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, and the first year of the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. As the benefits of RCEP policies materialize and the quality of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area improves, both parties will intensify their collaboration, advocate for multilateralism and free trade, and inject new energy and vitality into economic recovery, sustainable development, and shared prosperity in Asia and beyond.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
