by Xinhua writer Li Fuyu

JAKARTA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- In 2025, despite mounting global uncertainties marked by the resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism, disruptions to international trade and supply chains, and rising external interference in regional affairs, cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has continued to move forward against the tide.

By staying the course on cooperation and development, China and ASEAN have worked together to advance the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

OPEN COOPERATION DELIVERS TANGIBLE RESULTS

"The world is becoming increasingly turbulent, regional conflicts are intensifying, and uncertainties are growing. These factors not only test ASEAN's economies, but also the regional bloc's collective resolve to uphold cooperation," said Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, the rotating ASEAN Chair, at the ASEAN Summit in October, reflecting the strong desire of ASEAN countries to uphold regional peace, stability and open cooperation.

Unity brings strength, and cooperation delivers win-win results.

China has consistently supported ASEAN centrality and worked closely with ASEAN countries to safeguard the multilateral trading system and keep regional industrial and supply chains stable and resilient.

In the first 11 months of this year, ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner, with two-way trade rising 8.5 percent year on year.

Through high-level opening up, China has continued to share the opportunities of its vast market with ASEAN countries. In the first 10 months of the year, trade in agricultural and food products between China and ASEAN reached 51.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 8.9 percent year on year. China's imports of fresh and dried fruits from ASEAN exceeded 10 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for more than two-thirds of its global imports of such products.

China has also stepped up cooperation with ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy and the green economy, opening up new prospects for innovation-driven development.

Connectivity projects such as the China-Laos Railway and the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia have driven economic growth along their routes.

Meanwhile, flagship cooperation projects and industrial parks, such as the China-Malaysia "Two Countries, Twin Parks" program, the China-Indonesia Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor and the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, have made steady progress, further promoting integration of industrial chains as well as regional economic and social development.

As ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn noted, through sustained dialogue, shared visions and collective efforts, ASEAN and China have continued to deepen cooperation, bringing stability, security and new development opportunities to the region and turning shared aspirations into tangible benefits for the people.

COOPERATION ENTERS A NEW INSTITUTIONAL PHASE

On Oct. 27, eight vehicles, including new energy logistics vehicles, golf carts and light trucks, rolled off the production line at the Liuzhou plant of Guangxi Automobile Group in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, destined for Vietnam.

The delivery marked the export of the group's 5,000th complete vehicle to ASEAN, offering a vivid snapshot of the fruitful development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

One day later, on Oct. 28, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol was signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, elevating economic and trade cooperation between the two sides to a new institutional stage.

Feng Xue, director of innovation and development at Guangxi Automobile Group, said the signing of the protocol would bring unprecedented opportunities for Chinese enterprises to expand into ASEAN markets.

The upgrade primarily covers nine key fields, including not only existing areas like customs procedures and trade facilitation, standards, and economic and technical cooperation, but also new, high-potential fields like digital economy, green economy, supply chain interconnectivity, competition and consumer protection, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The protocol signifies that China-ASEAN free trade cooperation and regional economic integration will extend beyond traditional trade and investment liberalization to encompass emerging fields like the digital and green development, standards alignment and industrial supply chains.

"For ASEAN members like Indonesia, it surely will enhance competitiveness, attract sustainable investment, and strengthen regional integration under an open, rules-based framework," said Garibaldi Thohir, chairman of the China Committee of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

From Version 1.0 to 2.0 and now 3.0, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area represents a new paradigm for regional economic cooperation.

According to He Min, associate professor at China Foreign Affairs University, the protocol will further dismantle institutional barriers, promote rules alignment and mutual recognition of standards, and bring long-term, stable institutional dividends for economic growth on both sides.

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE BONDS GROW STRONGER

On the evening of Dec. 9, amid the rhythmic beat of drums and the lead of a lion dance, participants from China, Malaysia and other ASEAN countries paraded along Jonker Street in Malacca, Malaysia. The event marked the conclusion of activities celebrating the 2024-2025 China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

Over the past two years, China and ASEAN jointly organized nearly 200 high-level, high-impact and well-received people-to-people exchange activities, promoting closer bonds between their peoples.

China has introduced an "ASEAN visa" and implemented comprehensive mutual visa exemption arrangements with Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as mutual visa-free policies with Brunei, making cross-border movement in the region more seamless.

From surging two-way tourism to vibrant cultural festivals and the growing popularity of Chinese micro-dramas across Southeast Asia, China and ASEAN have continued to broaden channels for people-to-people connectivity and promote closer ties.

Looking back on 2025, China and ASEAN have responded to challenges with pragmatic cooperation and embraced the future with openness, charting a clear path toward a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

China and ASEAN will mark the fifth anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership in 2026.

Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah, president of the Malaysian Senate, expressed confidence in future ASEAN-China cooperation, calling on ASEAN and China to continue building a peaceful, prosperous and dynamic region together. Enditem