Bloc chief praises outcomes of relations

Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, praised the strong achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation in past years, expressing hope for deeper economic and trade ties through enhanced collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence and connectivity.

In an interview with China Daily on Thursday, Kao highlighted 2026 as a significant milestone, marking the fifth anniversary of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership and the 35th anniversary of their dialogue relations. Since establishing the comprehensive strategic partnership, relations between China and ASEAN have expanded, deepened, and strengthened, he said, yielding "very good figures in defining the relationship".

Official data shows that China's trade with ASEAN exceeded $1 trillion for the first time last year, with bilateral trade value reaching $1.05 trillion, up 7.4 percent year-on-year. China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's biggest trading partner for six successive years. By the end of July, cumulative two-way investment between China and ASEAN had exceeded $515 billion.

"These trade dynamics explain how we've been working together despite all the challenges," Kao said. Looking ahead, with the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol signed in October, he expressed optimism for expanded cooperation, particularly in the digital economy.

"We can look at all opportunities to truly make our two economies work together," he stated. "Ultimately, it's not only the business community that will benefit, but consumers on both sides will also benefit."

Kao also spoke highly of the China-ASEAN Expo's pivotal role in fostering bilateral trade, which he believes has "built a lot of trust and confidence" in bilateral cooperation.

With its first edition in 2004, the China-ASEAN Expo has more than 20 years of history. The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo is currently taking place in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, from Sept 17 to 21.

Important platform

Kao described the expo as "an important platform, mechanism, or a venue where we broaden and strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and China", expressing hope for an expanded scope in the future.

"We have to go beyond the national level, to maybe the sub-national level, including cities and provinces from different ASEAN member states and China. We must have layers of cooperation that will strengthen over time," he said.

Adding another layer of potential to this evolving partnership, Kao underscored the fresh opportunities presented by the recently opened Pinglu Canal.

The canal, offering a crucial trade shortcut to Southeast Asia, officially opened on Wednesday in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. It is set to provide a direct, shorter, more economical, and more convenient waterway for Guangxi and China's southwestern regions to access the ASEAN region.

Compared with traditional routes through ports in Guangdong province, the canal shortens the inland waterway journeys of goods from Southwest China by more than 560 kilometers.

"This is a canal of significant historical dimension," the senior official affirmed, noting that it will "open new opportunities for both sides" by establishing a new water transport corridor, reducing logistics costs, enhancing transport reliability, and boosting regional economic competitiveness.

"I think the timing is just a combination of everything — from AI to the upgrade of the ASEAN-China FTA to this new water transport corridor," Kao said. "There are a lot of positive developments in 2026 despite all the challenges."

Contact the writers at yangran1@chinadaily.com.cn