China remains ASEAN's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years

BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China has continued to be the largest trading partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 16 consecutive years, a commerce official said Monday.

Trade between China and the ASEAN reached 597 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of this year, up 8.2 percent year on year and accounting for 16.7 percent of China's total foreign trade for the same period, according to Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong.

As of the end of July, the cumulative two-way investment exceeded 450 billion U.S. dollars, Yan said.

Meanwhile, Chinese companies have been active in contracting infrastructure projects in ASEAN countries, with a cumulative turnover of 480 billion dollars by the end of July.

Yan spoke at a press conference on the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo. Scheduled from Sept. 17 to 21, the expo will take place in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The expo features an exhibition area of nearly 160,000 square meters this year, with about 3,200 enterprises from 45 countries already confirming their participation.

Pavilions showcasing artificial intelligence and new quality productive forces will be newly set up in this year's expo, along with new sections dedicated to the blue economy and premium foreign trade products.

China will deepen regional cooperation with the ASEAN, expand import of ASEAN products such as tropical fruits, coffee, rubber, and palm oil, and strengthen the cross-border e-commerce partnership with ASEAN countries, said Yan.

Efforts will also be made to scale up investment in digital and green economies and other emerging sectors in ASEAN countries, as well as maintain the smooth and stable flow of industrial and supply chains, he said. ■