BEIJING, Aug 10, 2026: China and ASEAN are looking at a wider economic agenda as they mark five years of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with technology, investment, supply chains and regional connectivity becoming increasingly important alongside trade.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn met Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Wang Qing on Monday to discuss the relationship and follow up on the ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings held in Manila, said a statement issued by ASEAN Secretariat.
The meeting also touched on priorities for ASEAN-China cooperation during the fifth anniversary year of the strategic partnership, according to the ASEAN Secretariat.
Beyond the meeting, much of the work ahead is already set out in the ASEAN-China Plan of Action for 2026–2030. The plan covers a wide range of areas, from trade and investment to digital commerce, manufacturing, science and technology, transport, energy, tourism and education.
Some of the newer areas of interest are particularly relevant to businesses. The two sides have identified smart manufacturing, e-commerce, digital transformation and green industrial development for greater cooperation. The plan also mentions artificial intelligence, batteries, electric vehicles and quantum computing.
For ASEAN countries, closer economic ties with China mean access to a large consumer market and a major source of investment and manufacturing capacity. For Chinese businesses, Southeast Asia has become an important market as well as a production and supply-chain base.
Connectivity is another part of the picture. The five-year plan calls for cooperation on railways, roads, ports and airports. It also links the ASEAN connectivity agenda with China's Belt and Road Initiative.
The emphasis on connectivity has a commercial side. Better transport links can reduce the time and cost involved in moving goods across the region, while stronger digital connections can support cross-border commerce and services.
Energy is also included, with the plan covering clean energy, green investment and regional power connectivity.
The relationship is not confined to commerce. Education, language programmes, cultural exchanges, museums, heritage and creative industries are included in the cooperation agenda. These activities provide another channel for contact between China and the countries of Southeast Asia, where tourism, education and business have brought millions of people into closer contact.
China and ASEAN began their dialogue relationship in 1991 and became Comprehensive Strategic Partners in 2021. Their economic links have expanded considerably over that period.
The challenge now is less about identifying areas for cooperation than turning the long list of priorities into projects, investment and commercial opportunities.
