General

Against the background of the repeated global new crown epidemic and the slowdown of the world economic recovery, the trade volume between China and ASEAN in 2021 will rise against the trend and hit a new record high. According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China recently, the total value of imports and exports between China and ASEAN in 2021 will be approximately US$878.207 billion in US dollars, an increase of 28.1% over the previous year. Many analysts said that the ever-closer trade relationship between China and ASEAN will continue to create new development opportunities and help regional economic recovery.

"It can be clearly seen from the data that ASEAN's exports to China have grown significantly. In the context of the impact of the epidemic on the global economy, China's economy is still showing a positive development trend and has become the most reliable strategic partner for ASEAN countries to promote economic recovery." Indonesian think tank Economics Bima Yudistila, director general of the Legal Research Center, told Xinhua that the trade relationship between China and ASEAN has created opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in ASEAN member countries, especially through e-commerce platforms, which can better explore China The market continues to provide new growth points for bilateral trade.

Data show that in 2021, the trade volume between China and Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, will increase by 58.6% year-on-year, and China will continue to be Indonesia's largest trading partner.

Riki Afrianto, Global Marketing Director of Indonesia Maida Group, said, "With the continuous strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN and the continuous simplification of bilateral trade processes, our goods can reach the Chinese market faster." He told reporters , Snacks such as biscuits, candies, coffee and other snacks under the Maida Group have won more favor from Chinese consumers through multiple e-commerce platforms, and their sales in China have shown a positive growth trend.

Fitra Faisal Hastiadi, a researcher at the School of Economics at the University of Indonesia, said that for ASEAN countries including Indonesia, the powerful Chinese economy is an important engine driving the development of various industries in the region. In the face of unfavorable factors such as the epidemic, China and ASEAN are "prosperous together".

On January 1 this year, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) came into effect, marking the official establishment of a free trade zone with the largest economic volume and development potential in the world. Fitra said the entry into force of the RCEP represented a "victory of multilateralism". He said that China is one of the first member countries to complete the RCEP approval process, which fully reflects China's adherence to the concept of inclusive development, and believes that trade between China and ASEAN will "continue to reach a new level in the future."