Top 10 News Stories on China-ASEAN Cooperation 2025 released

BEIJING, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report by China Report ASEAN

On January 15, the list of Top 10 News Stories on China-ASEAN Cooperation 2025 was officially unveiled at a ceremony in Nanning, capital of southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The event was supervised by China International Communications Group (CICG), China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), and the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee and co-hosted by the CICG Center for Asia-Pacific, CFAU Institute of Asian Studies, Guangxi University, and Guangxi International Communication Center.

Distinguished guests delivering speeches at the event were Yu Yunquan, vice president of CICG, Li Guozhong, secretary of the CPC Guangxi University Committee, Sun Jisheng, vice president of CFAU, Wang Jicai, secretary-general of CAEXPO Secretariat, Taing Sokngorn, Consul General of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Nanning, Ahmad Phadil bin Mohamed Ismail, Consul General of Malaysia in Nanning, and Vongpano Sipaseuth, Consul General of the Lao PDR in Nanning.

Also attending the event were more than 300 officials, experts, scholars, and representatives from China and ASEAN countries including Yang Jianping, president of the CICG Center for Asia-Pacific, Xue Bin, second-level inspector of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee, Yin Myo Khine, Consul General of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Nanning, and Pham Duy Binh, Consul General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Nanning.

Tang Zhihua, deputy secretary of the CPC Guangxi University Committee, presided over the event.

In his speech, Yu Yunquan said that China and ASEAN are connected by the same mountains and rivers and bound together by close people-to-people ties. They are not only strategic partners moving forward hand in hand, but also a community with a shared future. China and ASEAN are good partners committed to common development, long-term vision, mutual understanding, and growing global prominence. He pointed out that multiple institutions co-hosted this event with the original aspiration and purpose of serving as faithful recorders, enthusiastic communicators, in-depth researchers, and practical promoters of China-ASEAN cooperation. At this new historical starting point, he expressed hope that the two sides would deepen media cooperation to tell the stories of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, strengthen think tank collaboration to empower regional cooperation, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges to consolidate popular support, and make valuable contributions to the China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Li Guozhong noted that the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership has become the most successful and dynamic model of regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The year 2025 marked the conclusion of Guangxi University's 14th Five-Year Plan as well as a crucial year for the university to accelerate development of world-class curricula and academic disciplines and plan for high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Following the internationalization strategy of "cultivating ASEAN and facing the world," Guangxi University has established China's first ASEAN regional and country studies alliance, set up a school of artificial intelligence, formulated the first local standard for ASEAN language corpus annotation in Guangxi, and carried out extensive exchanges with Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the National University of Malaysia, Chulalongkorn University of Thailand, and other institutions. In the future, his university will continue to carry out high-quality research on ASEAN regional and country studies, optimize the role of strategic policy advice, practice information sharing and talent cultivation, and provide effective service for China-ASEAN cooperation.

Sun Jisheng said that the Top 10 News Stories on China-ASEAN Cooperation 2025 cover multiple dimensions such as head-of-state diplomacy, economic and trade upgrading, digital transformation, green development, people-to-people exchange, and non-traditional security cooperation, which reflects the comprehensive nature and resilience of relations between the two sides and consolidates the consensus for future cooperation. As an active participant, the CFAU has always been committed to promoting exchange between think tanks and Track-II diplomacy. The university's Institute of Asian Studies and Research Center for a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity have continued to deepen research on ASEAN policies and facilitate cooperation between the two sides in emerging fields. Going forward, the CFAU will continue to serve as a think tank, strengthen the knowledge and humanistic foundation of cooperation, and work with all sectors of ASEAN countries to contribute wisdom and strength to bilateral cooperation.

Wang Jicai declared that the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo, held last year with a focus on artificial intelligence, received widespread praise and support from all parties. It achieved fruitful results in diplomacy, economic and trade cooperation, and exchanges in various fields, lifting relations between the two sides to a new height. Since its inception in 2004, the CAEXFO has taken place annually in Nanning. It has become an important regional public platform, with positive contributions to the China-ASEAN community with a shared future and Belt and Road cooperation. It has also effectively promoted Guangxi's opening-up. The 23rd CAEXPO, scheduled for September 2025, will seize the opportunities presented by the implementation of the CAFTA 3.0. Focusing on innovative, intelligent, and green development, it will position AI in a leading role and enterprises as main drivers to strengthen bilateral relations.

Taing Sokngorn said that Cambodia-China cooperation yielded fruitful results in 2025. Cambodia and China share common strategic needs and regional security interests, he said. The exchange of high-level visits has lifted the Cambodia-China community with a shared future to a new height. The two sides have reached important consensus in multiple areas such as infrastructure, trade and investment, and cultural exchange. Cooperation between the two sides has injected strong impetus into regional peace and development. The comprehensive strategic partnership between Cambodia and China will expand into emerging fields such as digital innovation and green development, with focus on both the economy and the well-being of the people to enhance the long-term development of Cambodia.

Ahmad Phadil bin Mohamed Ismail said that the enduring friendship between Malaysia and China has been elevated to a resilient partnership based on mutual respect and shared achievements. Malaysia was the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2025, during which time the country actively promoted regional prosperity and development. For example, it facilitated the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord between Thailand and Cambodia, and Timor-Leste's official accession to ASEAN as the 11th member state. Guangxi has played a pivotal role in Malaysia-China relations, he noted. The CAEXPO and the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" flagship cooperation project have brought huge benefits to both countries.

Vongpano Sipaseuth said that encouraging progress was made in Laos-China cooperation in many aspects in 2025. As a landmark project, the Laos-China Railway has handled nearly 20 million passenger trips and over 24 million tons of freight. It has significantly reduced the time for travel and logistics between Kunming and Vientiane and become an economic artery radiating to ASEAN. Bilateral cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence and cultural exchange has also been deepened continuously.

The Top 10 News Stories on China-ASEAN Cooperation 2025 were selected by the CICG Center for Asia-Pacific and the CFAU Institute of Asian Studies in collaboration with relevant academic institutions. Over the last year, under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, bilateral cooperation has expanded into more diverse areas, reached higher levels, and been built upon a more solid foundation, injecting sustained momentum into bilateral relations.

Yang Yue, deputy director of the CFAU Institute of Asian Studies, presided over the release ceremony. Experts from China and ASEAN countries delivered comments on the Top 10 news stories.

Hu Suojin, vice president and secretary-general of the China Association for International Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce and former Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, noted that the year 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN as well as the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN. After 35 years, China-ASEAN cooperation has reached a crucial stage of deepening integration and strategic upgrading. Against a backdrop of the accelerating changes unseen in a century and increasingly severe global development challenges, this event serves as both a systematic summary of China-ASEAN relations over the last year and a new beginning for both sides to seize the opportunities, rise to challenges, and join hands for higher-quality cooperation. Despite the complex and fluid international situation, broad prospects for China-ASEAN cooperation to achieve more on a solid foundation are emerging constantly.

Tie Fatt Hee, Honorary Professor of the Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Law, commented that the year 2025 was not only Malaysia's turn as the rotating chair of ASEAN but also a crucial year for the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to transition from growth to maturity. Exchange and cooperation between the two sides in all the aspects of "hard connectivity," "soft connectivity," and "heart connectivity" have become increasingly close. In particular, huge space for cooperation has emerged in emerging fields such as AI governance and blue ocean economy.

Souliya Mounnarath, head of the National University of Laos' International Cooperation Division, said that cultural exchange, as a bridge of "people-to-people connectivity," can overcome obstacles and promote cooperation. Last year was the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges, during which time the two sides achieved fruitful results, laying a solid foundation for promoting mutual understanding between the people. He stressed that young people are the future of countries and an important force driving regional cooperation. He expressed hope that more and more young people from China and ASEAN countries would actively engage in exchange and cooperation to enhance mutual understanding and boost innovative vitality.

At the Roundtable Dialogue, participants engaged in a heated discussion on prospects for China-ASEAN cooperation in 2026. Attending this session were Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies and a research fellow at Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation; Xu Liping, vice president of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and a research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Belt and Road Research Center; Rafael Henrique Zerbetto, Esperanto expert at the CICG Center for Asian-Pacific and recipient of the 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award; and Li Xiao, chief analyst for China-ASEAN relations from China Economic Information Service, Xinhua News Agency.

This year marks the sixth edition of the annual release of Top 10 News Stories on China-ASEAN Cooperation. Aimed at documenting progress, building consensus, and fostering dialogue, the event has become a signature brand activity with enduring impact on bilateral cooperation. Over the years, organizers have systematically summarized and disseminated the fruitful achievements and landmark projects made by China and ASEAN in various fields such as politics, economics, culture, and sustainable development, providing an important window for the two sides to review the achievements of cooperation and feel the pulse of cooperation. It has also effectively enhanced mutual understanding and friendly relations between the societies of the two sides, laying a foundation of public support for a more comprehensive strategic partnership.

On the sidelines of this event, a China-ASEAN People-to-People Exchange Achievements Exhibition was staged. The organizers showcased the fruitful achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation in cultural exchange, international communication, academic research, and more areas. Students from ASEAN countries attending Guangxi University presented their own cultural and folk products to the guests, and the teachers and students from the College of Arts presented artistic performances from China and ASEAN countries.