China, ASEAN join hands to write new chapter in regional integration

As Chinese and ASEAN leaders meet in Kuala Lumpur, attention is focused on the upcoming China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, which aims to further strengthen regional economic integration and global trade.
Since its launch in 2010, CAFTA has driven strong growth in China-ASEAN economic ties, making them each other’s largest trading partners for five consecutive years. Bilateral trade has surged from under $8 billion in 1991 to nearly $1 trillion in 2024, with cooperation expanding in infrastructure, trade, and investment.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed support for ASEAN’s central role and called for maintaining regional stability, opposing protectionism, and deepening cooperation through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Joint projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and the China-Laos Railway have boosted connectivity, while trade expos continue to promote goods from both sides. Emerging collaboration now includes fields like digital technology, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and green energy.
The CAFTA 3.0 upgrade will add nine new chapters covering the digital economy, green economy, and supply chain connectivity, setting the stage for broader, deeper, and more modern regional integration between China and ASEAN.
Credit : CGTN