TRADE between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is expected to hit another historical high this year as economic ties between the two sides continue to expand despite growing uncertainty in global trade, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong said on Monday.
‘The Asean-China trade volume is expected to create another historical new high,’ Yan said during the 25th Asean Economic Ministers-Ministry of Commerce Consultation in Pasay.
The trade volume reached $1.05 trillion in 2025, crossing the $1-trillion mark for the first time. In the first eight months of 2026, Asean-China trade grew 25.6 percent, Yan said.
The continued expansion in trade comes as businesses across the region contend with higher energy and commodity costs, supply-chain disruptions, and a more uncertain global trading environment.
Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said the scale of the Asean-China economic relationship carries a responsibility for both sides to remain responsive to the needs of their economies and people.
‘For businesses, the effects appear in higher fuel and shipping costs. For families, they are felt in prices of transport, electricity, food, and other daily needs,’ Roque said.
Roque said the region cannot prevent every disruption but closer cooperation could strengthen its ability to respond and adjust to changing conditions.
Yan also called for closer cooperation between China and Asean amid what he described as growing unilateralism and protectionism in global trade.
‘China and Asean countries should work together to address difficulties and challenges, jointly defend our interests in economic cooperation and trade, promote the prosperous development of regional economy, and continuously create certainty to global economic and trade exchanges, and also create certainty,’ Yan said.
The Chinese official said additional tariffs and economic and trade frictions were affecting global economic growth, underscoring the need for greater certainty in regional trade.
The push for stronger economic ties also extends to Asean’s partnerships with Australia and New Zealand, as the bloc seeks to adjust its economic cooperation to shifting trade and investment patterns.
Trade Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty said two-way trade between Asean and Australia and New Zealand reached $153.9 billion in 2025.
The partnership has also expanded beyond traditional trade to areas such as digital trade, economic resilience, micro, small, and medium enterprises [MSMEs] development, and sustainable growth.
Gepty said Asean should make fuller use of the modernized trade framework with Australia and New Zealand while strengthening cooperation in digital trade, helping MSMEs more actively in regional and global value chains, and improving supply-chain resilience.
‘At the same time, as the global trading environment becomes more complex, our partnership can provide a platform for closer dialogue and coordination on emerging economic issues,’ he also said.