Beijing, Sept. 9 -- Trade between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China reached 597 billion USD in the first seven months of this year, up 8.2% year-on-year and accounting for 16.7% of China's total foreign trade during the period, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

China has remained ASEAN's top trading partner for 16 consecutive years while ASEAN has been China's largest for five straight years, said Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong.

In 2024, China's bilateral trade with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore each exceeded 100 billion USD. In particular, trade with Vietnam and Malaysia surpassed 200 billion USD, Yan noted.

He said negotiations on Version 3.0 of the China - ASEAN Fre...