Beijing: China’s trade with ASEAN and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries experienced substantial growth in the first five months of 2025, with a notable increase in trade volumes. Trade between China and ASEAN rose by 9.1 percent year-on-year, reaching 3.02 trillion yuan (US$415.5 billion).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, trade with BRI countries climbed by 4.2 percent, totaling 9.24 trillion yuan. During this period, ASEAN maintained its position as China’s largest trading partner. China’s total goods imports and exports, measured in yuan, expanded by 2.5 percent year-on-year to 17.94 trillion yuan (US$2.5 trillion), underscoring the resilience of China’s foreign trade despite facing external challenges. The country’s total exports rose by 7.2 percent year-on-year to 10.67 trillion yuan, while imports decreased by 3.8 percent year-on-year to 7.27 trillion yuan.

Citing the report published in the Global Times, China’s total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms grew by 2.7 percent year-on-year to 3.81 trillion yuan in May alone. Additionally, China’s trade with the European Union (EU) increased by 2.9 percent to 2.3 trillion yuan, whereas trade with the United States declined by 8.1 percent to 1.72 trillion yuan during the same five-month period.

The General Administration of Customs (GAC) stated that China has maintained its foreign trade resilience and stable growth despite external environmental challenges. The country intends to continue implementing measures to optimize its trade structure, ensuring the high-quality development of foreign commerce.