THE China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership entered its fifth year in 2026, vividly reflecting the strength of mutual economic sustainability, export diversification and qualitative industrialization driven by green and quantum technologies, digitalization, artificial intelligence and a shared future. China and ASEAN have been each other’s largest trading partners for many consecutive years, a result of the structural reconfiguration of regional integration with profound, long-term implications for Asia’s growth. It is a positive sign that China and ASEAN members are close neighbours who share similar development philosophies and deeply intertwined interests. This allows them to jointly pursue greater socio-economic cooperation, financial integration, e-commerce, hybrid agriculture and, crucially, people-centric development models, policies, plans and projects, creating numerous win-win propositions for all.

Most recently, while attending the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted the tangible achievements of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership over the past five years and stressed the need for greater unity in addressing emerging challenges and uncertainties. He outlined four major areas of progress that have strengthened ties: the steady advancement of a community with a shared future among neighbouring countries; the continuation of robust economic and trade cooperation; solidarity in times of crisis; and significant expansion of people-to-people exchanges. Wang noted that nearly 200 major and well-received events were held during the 2024-2025 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges, while a dedicated visa facilitation scheme for ASEAN countries was introduced to make cross-border travel more........

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