China, ASEAN to upgrade free trade, bring more certainties to world

As Chinese and ASEAN leaders gather here this week, a planned upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area comes into the spotlight.

Within this year, the two sides will formally sign the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, empowering regional economic integration and global trade, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 20, 2025 shows a high-speed electrical multiple unit (EMU) train leaving Tegalluar Station of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) in Bandung, Indonesia. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Being each other's largest trading partner for the fifth consecutive year, China and ASEAN have scored numerous achievements amid rising external uncertainties. In the first three quarters, China's trade with ASEAN totaled 5.57 trillion yuan (about 785 billion U.S. dollars), up 9.6 percent year-on-year, with events such as the China-ASEAN Expo successfully held.

New achievements coincide with the adoption of the Plan of Action to Implement the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030), which aligns highly with the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future and its Strategic Plans. Standing at a new starting point, the region is broadening collaboration on infrastructure, digital and green transition, trade facilitation and people-to-people exchanges, paving the way for deeper regional integration.

(Xinhua)