Hanoi (VNA)💦 – Yunnan province of China continues to record strong foreign trade growth, driven in large part by deepening economic ties with ASEAN member states — a testament to the enduring strength of China–ASEAN economic cooperation amid rising global protectionism, according to the China Daily.

The journal cited data from Kunming Customs showing that ASEAN has remained Yunnan's largest trading partner for 20 consecutive years. In 2024, trade between Yunnan and ASEAN reached 109.32 billion RMB (15.1 billion USD) while in the first quarter of this year alone, bilateral trade totalled 23.96 billion RMB. As China's gateway to South and Southeast Asia, Yunnan has seen increasingly close economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN in recent years. The province's growing foreign trade potential continues to inject strong momentum into regional economic integration, according to Kunming Customs. Of the total trade volume, Yunnan imported 3.22 billion RMB worth of agricultural products from ASEAN, up 26.5% year-on-year, and exports of agricultural goods reached 2.98 billion RMB, marking a 23.1% increase. Notably, exports of fruits and nuts surged by 132.6% compared to the same period last year. Fruits produced in Yunnan are highly complementary with those of ASEAN economies, and the establishment of a cross-border fruit corridor — bringing tropical fruits north and temperate fruits south — has enhanced the complementary trade advantages between China and ASEAN economies, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation. Yunnan enjoys geographic proximity and longstanding cultural ties with neighbouring regions, said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. Recent progress in infrastructure and logistics has laid a further solid foundation for Yunnan and ASEAN to deepen cooperation based on their respective strengths, Zhou added. Data from the General Administration of Customs reveal that in 2024, ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade reaching 6.99 trillion RMB, up 9.0% year-on-year and accounting for 15.9% of China's total foreign trade. Exports to ASEAN stood at 4.17 trillion RMB, a 13.4% increase, while imports from ASEAN totalled 2.82 trillion RMB, up 3.2%./.