ASEAN and China officials champion openness amid uncertainty

As global uncertainty threatens to destabilize the global economic order, representatives from China and ASEAN member states have called for continued commitment to openness and stability, pledging to make positive contributions to the regional economy.

They made the remarks on June 17 at the launch event of the ASEAN-China (Zhengzhou) Economy Development Centre, held in Zhengzhou, the capital of central China's Henan province.

The center is jointly launched by the ASEAN-China Centre and the Zhengzhou municipal government, and is operated by Zhengzhou Agricultural Development Group Co. Its core functions include serving as an ASEAN liaison window, facilitating high-level meetings, offering expert think tank consultations, empowering enterprises for international market entry, showcasing ASEAN and Chinese products and fostering cultural and tourism exchanges.

The launch ceremony saw the attendance of more than 120 representatives, including government officials from ASEAN countries, ASEAN envoys to China, as well as delegates from Chinese and ASEAN enterprises and business associations.

Shi Zhongjun, honorable guest of the ASEAN-China Centre, said, "Rising protectionism and unilateralism are disrupting the multilateral trading system, while geopolitical tensions keep flaring up. Countries around the world are facing mounting challenges, especially in the resilience of industrial and supply chains."

"The closer cooperation between ASEAN and China has provided a pathway to address the challenges and contribute to the regional economy," Shi said.

Li Zhuo, vice-governor of Henan, noted that ASEAN has been Henan's largest trading partner for many consecutive years, with cooperation between the province and ASEAN entering a phase of deep integration across the entire industrial chain. He expressed hope that the center would play a bridging role, focusing on collaboration in areas such as modern agriculture and cross-border trade.

Lim Lork Piseth, secretary of state of the Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia, hailed the establishment of the center as "both timely and strategic".

"In a context of global uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and disruptions to food and energy markets, ASEAN and China must continue to act as anchors of openness, stability and mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.

He noted that the center could help implement commitments made by leaders on agricultural cooperation and food security, support value-chain integration and industrial upgrading, and serve as a bridge between economic cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 35th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations. And agricultural cooperation, in particular, is a core pillar of the partnership.

According to data from China Customs, trade in agricultural products between China and ASEAN reached 447.84 billion yuan ($66.22 billion) in 2025, an increase of 30.7 percent compared to 2021. ASEAN has remained China's largest trading partner for agricultural products for nine consecutive years.