China-Asean partnership is helping build common home and shared future

On November 22, 2021, President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) jointly announced the establishment of a China-Asean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a new milestone in the history of this important relationship.

Guided by the vision of a closer community with a shared future and with sustained efforts to build a peaceful, secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable region as our common home, China and Asean have jointly nurtured one of the most dynamic, fruitful and substantive dialogue partnerships over the past five years.

These years have witnessed deepened political relations and mutual trust. High-level exchanges between the two sides have remained robust. Xi paid state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia in 2025, drawing new blueprints for China’s relations with Southeast Asian nations.

China has reached important consensus with eight Asean countries on building bilateral communities with a shared future. Together, China and Asean have been a strong voice for multilateralism, the post-World War II international order and lasting peace and common development.

The inaugural Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council-China Summit successfully took place last year, breaking new ground for cross-regional cooperation. Cooperation in countering terrorism, combating transnational crimes such as online scams, and humanitarian mine action has made our region safer for the well-being of our peoples.

No matter whether it was fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and natural disasters or addressing the regional impacts of developments in the Middle East, China and Asean have stood firmly together to jointly meet challenges, lending each other a helping hand.

The past five years have ushered in a new chapter of upgraded and expanded economic cooperation and trade. In 2025, two-way trade surpassed US$1 trillion. China has remained Asean’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with Asean being China’s for six consecutive years. Cumulative two-way investment exceeded US$515 billion. The China-Asean Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol will soon enter into force.

Cooperation in emerging fields including the digital economy, artificial intelligence and green and low-carbon development has gained momentum. Connectivity projects such as the China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” industrial projects have vigorously boosted regional development and prosperity.

The newly opened Pinglu Canal is expected to shorten the shipping distance between southwest China and Asean by 560km and reduce logistics costs by 18 per cent to 30 per cent.

02:22

China links its inland with Asean through new Pinglu Canal in Guangxi

The past five years have also fostered deeper people-to-people bonds. The nearly 200 events held in the 2024-25 China-Asean Year of People-to-People Exchanges have gone a long way in fostering mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples.

Many flagship programmes have developed and flourished, including the China-Asean Education Cooperation Week, China-Asean Young Leaders’ Scholarship, China-Asean Youth Exchange Camp and China-Asean Short Video Contest. The film Dear You resonated with audiences across borders. The two sides have formed more than 200 pairs of sister cities.

China is the largest source of tourists for Asean. On average, more than 2,500 scheduled passenger flights fly between China and Asean countries every week, covering over 60 Chinese cities and all Asean countries. The Lancang-Mekong Visa and Asean Visa have further enabled travel to China for citizens of Asean countries. From 2023 to 2025, mutual visits between China and Asean totalled nearly 100 million.

China has consistently worked with Asean countries to champion the shared values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, jointly fostering a regional environment for peace and development. On the South China Sea issue, China sees the South China Sea as a home for all regional countries. China and Asean nations have the wisdom and capability to continue handling this issue properly and make peace, stability, cooperation and friendship the prevailing narrative of the South China Sea.

SCMP Plus is a new premium news platform that gives you an

all-inclusive edge to stay ahead on China news.

To access our exclusive content you’ll need to subscribe.

Already a subscriber?

LOG IN

China remains committed to full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct of Parties, appropriately resolving disputes through consultation and negotiation with the parties directly concerned and working with Asean to finalise the code of conduct in the South China Sea.

China is ready to work with Asean to uphold the principles of peace, development and win-win cooperation, strengthen synergy between our development strategies and enhance resilience in regional development, thus bringing more tangible benefits to the people of our region and beyond.

Featuring joint efforts to build a closer community with a shared future and to foster the “five homes” of peace, tranquillity, prosperity, beauty and friendship, the China-Asean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership holds out a brighter future in driving Asia’s development and revitalisation. It exemplifies regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, setting the pace for a Global South seeking strength through unity and upholding lasting peace and common development in this turbulent world.