RCEP and the Vision of the Maritime Silk Road: New Frontiers for China-ASEAN Cooperation (Part 1)
Chapter 1 - Practice: Fruitful Outcomes from Promoting Regional Cooperation with Win-Win Benefits
In today’s piece, we are briefing you on the Chapter 1 of our report, “RCEP and the Vision of the Maritime Silk Road: New Frontiers for China-ASEAN Cooperation.” We would love to answer any questions you might have so be sure to drop a like, comment, and subscribe for more!
Under the dual impetus of RCEP and the Maritime Silk Road initiative, China-ASEAN regional cooperation has yielded fruitful results. As the world's largest free trade agreement, RCEP has structurally deepened regional economic integration through institutionalized trade and investment facilitation and regulatory coordination. It has reshaped the regional division of labor, strengthened the resilience of industrial and supply chains, improved resource allocation efficiency, and provided institutional support for industrial complementarity and coordinated development among member states. The construction of the Maritime Silk Road has been anchored in infrastructure connectivity, supported by livelihood-oriented "small yet smart" projects and both bilateral and multilateral people-to-people exchanges. Together, these efforts have built a multi-tiered cooperation network encompassing "hard connectivity" (physical infrastructure), "soft connectivity" (institutional alignment), and "people-to-people connectivity" (cultural and social ties).
In their cooperation, the two sides have followed the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, exploring an inclusive governance approach that breaks rigid rules and transcends the traditional "center-periphery" model of regional cooperation. Together, they have developed an "Asian approach" that prioritizes equality, mutual benefit, and development. They offer critical theoretical insights and practical examples for diversifying the global economic governance system and building a regional community with a shared future.
I. RCEP Drives Regional Economic Prosperity and Integration
As the world's most significant free trade agreement regarding population coverage, trade volume, and development potential, RCEP has, over the past three years since its entry into force, continued to deliver institutional benefits through tariff reductions, streamlined customs procedures, and trade and investment facilitation. These measures have helped stabilize and smooth regional industrial and supply chains, effectively reinvigorated regional economic vitality, and laid the groundwork for a new model of regional cooperation characterized by shared benefits and joint development.
1. Trade Liberalization Achieves Remarkable Results
In the three years since RCEP took effect, the level of trade liberalization and the scale of goods trade between China and ASEAN have steadily increased. According to official data, the zero- tariff coverage rate between China and ASEAN has remained above 65% . In 2024, bilateral trade in goods reached 982.34 billion USD (approximately 6.99 trillion RMB), marking a year- on- year growth of 7.8% . China and ASEAN remained each other's largest trading partners for the fifth consecutive year, establishing a pattern of deep interdependence and coordinated development.
The industrial complementarity between China and ASEAN countries has continued to deepen. As shown in Figure 1, by 2024, ASEAN's exports of steel and non-ferrous metal products to China had more than tripled compared to 2019, while exports of resource-based products—such as agricultural goods, food and beverages, and mineral fuels—had increased by over 50% . During the same period, China's exports to ASEAN of three major categories—electromechanical products, chemicals, and textiles and apparel—each grew by more than 70%, with exports of plastic and rubber products and transportation equipment doubling. Trade facilitation measures have significantly strengthened industrial complementarity, deepened the division of labor and collaboration along industrial and supply chains, and further enhanced resilience against risks.
Figure 1: China-ASEAN Trade in Goods by Major Category in 2019 and 2024
The share of China-ASEAN goods trade in ASEAN's total foreign trade had risen from 11.5% in 2010—when the China- ASEAN Free Trade Area was first established—to nearly 20% in 2023, surpassing the trade share between ASEAN and its other major trading partners (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: ASEAN's Main Trade Partners: Bilateral Trade in Goods as a Share of Total Trade, 2010-2023 (%)
Data show that since RCEP entered into force, trade in intermediate goods between China and ASEAN has risen to 67% of total trade volume. This development indicates the formation of a more closely integrated and resilient production and supply chain network between the two sides, providing a solid foundation for stable regional economic growth.
In services trade, RCEP has enabled full market access in over 65% of service sectors for regional investors, significantly advancing digital trade cooperation between China and ASEAN. This development has fostered coordinated development in digital infrastructure, cross-border e-commerce, and talent development.
Cross-border e-commerce, in particular, has emerged as a new engine of regional trade growth. In China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region alone, over 100 registered cross-border e-commerce enterprises have helped more than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enter international markets.
By innovatively applying RCEP's cumulative rules of origin and tariff concessions, Pingxiang City in Guangxi has leveraged its geographic and resource advantages to build a dual- function trade hub integrating cross- border e- commerce and livestream sales. This initiative is steadily transforming the local "transit economy" into a thriving "port economy." In the first seven months of 2024 alone, the city's total import and export volume surged by over 400% year-on-year. Vietnamese livestream hosts are now directly marketing Chinese 3C products to consumers in Hanoi, creating a "digital bridge" that significantly enhances trade efficiency and highlights the immense potential of innovation in services trade. The "overseas warehouse + local store" model effectively uses RCEP's digital trade provisions, significantly reducing customs clearance times and aiming to achieve same-day delivery. Specialty products such as Vietnamese rattan crafts and Thai durians are now being sold to Chinese consumers via live-streaming platforms. The "Pingxiang Model" illustrates the synergy between RCEP's rules of origin and digital infrastructure, offering a "Chinese solution" for advancing high-standard regional free trade.
2. Investment Facilitation Mechanisms Unleash New Momentum for Regional Investment
RCEP's negative list approach and efficient dispute resolution mechanism have significantly driven growth in China-ASEAN bilateral investment. Taking into full account the development levels of member states, RCEP has streamlined dispute settlement procedures—reducing consultation periods to 30 days, limiting panel reviews to around 150 days, and eliminating the appellate process to ensure finality. This "fast-track" mechanism has significantly reduced operational risks for investors.
These institutional innovations have markedly boosted regional investment activity (Figure 3). In the two years following RCEP's entry into force, China's stock of direct investment in ASEAN grew at an average annual rate of nearly 12%, with non-financial investment growth accelerating to 12.6% in 2024. Meanwhile, ASEAN's actual investment in China remained above USD 10 billion annually from 2021 to 2023, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 10%.
Figure 3: China-ASEAN Bilateral Investment, 2010-2023
The bilateral investment structure between China and ASEAN has seen a clear upgrade, with strategic emerging industries such as clean energy and artificial intelligence becoming new focal points of cooperation. This shift is driven both by RCEP's diversified investment rule framework and by the proactive positioning of China and ASEAN amid the ongoing restructuring of global industrial chains.
One landmark project under RCEP's investment facilitation policies is Midea's air conditioner plant in Thailand. Located in Chonburi Province, the facility covers 208, 000 square meters and has a planned annual production capacity of over 4 million units. In collaboration with China Unicom, Huawei, and Thai telecom operator AIS, the plant has established Southeast Asia's first fully 5G- connected smart factory, enabling end-to-end digital production control.
Under the RCEP framework, Thailand's combined advantages of its Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and zero-tariff policies have provided Midea with a strategic gateway to the Asia-Pacific market, allowing it to efficiently integrate regional industrial chain resources and extend its digital capabilities to empower traditional industries across ASEAN. This successful model of cross-border cooperation has set a benchmark for smart manufacturing in the region and opened up new opportunities for deeper China-ASEAN industrial chain collaboration.
3. Accelerated Industrial Integration Drives Regional Economic Integration
Driven by the institutional benefits of trade and investment facilitation under RCEP, enterprises across the region have accelerated the coordination of their supply chains. Through expanded cooperation in production capacity and the optimization of global industrial chain networks, China and ASEAN have significantly strengthened their roles as key hubs in regional economic integration.
From the perspective of trade structure, 45% of goods exported within the RCEP region in 2023 were destined for member country markets—an increase of 8.9 percentage points compared to 2020. This growth highlights the strengthening impact of RCEP's rules of origin and tariff reduction policies on intra-regional trade linkages.
At the same time, RCEP has significantly improved the efficiency of resource allocation throughout the region. In 2023, imports from within the region accounted for nearly 54% of total imports among member countries, up 12.1 percentage points from 2020. This increase suggests that regional supply chain integration has entered a new, more advanced stage.
Figure 4: Share of Intra- and Extra-RCEP Trade in Goods, 2020-2023 (%)
This transformation has not only solidified the roles of China and ASEAN as core hubs of regional trade, but also positioned RCEP's regional supply chain cooperation as a model for global free trade zone development. Take electromechanical products, for example. Intra- regional trade in this sector within RCEP has continued to grow, with approximately 68% of the region's manufactured electromechanical products ultimately exported to markets outside RCEP, such as the EU and the United States. This pattern not only reflects the global competitiveness of the region's manufacturing industry, but also underscores RCEP's positive impact in enhancing industrial coordination by lowering trade barriers. The deepening of this "manufacturing regionally, selling globally" model has further strengthened Asia's position in global manufacturing value chains.
The implementation of RCEP is also reshaping the global system of industrial division of labor. Its institutional innovations have significantly lowered the costs of restructuring regional industrial chains, facilitating the upgrading of manufacturing toward technology-intensive and high-value-added industries. Cooperation between China and ASEAN continues to deepen in areas such as the digital economy and emerging industries.
With the continued release of RCEP's policy benefits, China-ASEAN manufacturing is expected to develop a more competitive innovation ecosystem—offering an "Asian solution" to global economic growth.
II. Fruitful Outcomes in Jointly Advancing the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road
In early October 2013, during his visit to Indonesia, President Xi Jinping proposed strengthening maritime cooperation with ASEAN countries to jointly build the 21stCentury Maritime Silk Road. This initiative has become a key component of the BRI. Over the following decade, with ASEAN as the pioneering region and central hub, participating countries have collaboratively achieved substantial and tangible outcomes.
Figure 5: Trends of Maritime Silk Road Trade Index Since 2016
1. Major Corridor Development Upgrades Regional Connectivity and Integration
For a long time, inadequate transport infrastructure has been a major bottleneck for economic development across ASEAN countries. Since the proposal of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, infrastructure has become a priority area for cooperation between China and ASEAN nations. All ten ASEAN member states have now joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Numerous infrastructure projects have been steadily and efficiently advanced, turning once-ambitious blueprints into concrete "golden corridors," effectively driving urban development and improving livelihoods in participating countries—contributing not only to regional but also global connectivity.
"Major Arteries" Built from Scratch. Driven by Maritime Silk Road cooperation and the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, many major infrastructure projects have been successfully implemented. Notable examples include Cambodia's first expressway—the Phnom Penh–Sihanoukville Expressway; Vietnam's first urban light rail line—the Cat Linh–Ha Dong Line; Laos's first standardgauge modern railway—the China-Laos Railway; and Indonesia's, as well as Southeast Asia's, first high-speed railway—the Jakarta–Bandung HSR. These landmark projects have successively entered into operation, significantly advancing local economic and social development.
The 665-kilometer East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is under construction in Malaysia. The ECRL begins in Kota Bharu in the east and ends at Port Klang in the west, traversing the Malay Peninsula and connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It runs through four Malaysian states, linking developed and underdeveloped areas. As the most significant economic and trade cooperation project between China and Malaysia, once completed, the ECRL will serve as the main transport artery between Malaysia's east and west coasts. It is expected not only to promote balanced regional development in Malaysia but also to become a key part of the future Pan-Asian railway network.
In Cambodia, the Phnom Penh–Sihanoukville Expressway, which connects the capital with the country's largest deep-water port, began construction in 2019 and opened to traffic in October 2022. The completion of the expressway has reduced travel time between the two cities from five hours to under two, significantly improving the logistics corridor for maritime trade from Cambodia's interior to its coastal areas. The longawaited express route, once envisioned by Cambodia's "Father of Independence," Norodom Sihanouk, has finally been realized through joint efforts under the Maritime Silk Road initiative.
"Major Hubs": Enhanced Quality and Efficiency. In Laos, the opening of the ChinaLaos Railway has added 422.44 kilometers of rail within the country. Laos's per capita railway length rose from last place among 149 railway-operating countries to 28th globally and first among ASEAN countries. In the three years since its launch, the ChinaLaos Railway has seen strong passenger and freight traffic growth. In 2024, the Lao section alone handled 4.786 million tonnes of freight, and it is expected to reach its designed freight capacity of 5 million tonnes by 2025—five years ahead of schedule. The launch of the China-Laos Railway has transformed Laos from a landlocked country into a land- linked one. The railway now connects more than ten countries and regions participating in the BRI, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar, further strengthening Laos's role as a regional transport hub.
In Indonesia, the Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Railway, which ushered the country into the "high-speed rail era," was named Whoosh by former President Joko Widodo. The name was inspired by the sound of a bullet train speeding past. It is also an acronym in Bahasa Indonesia, representing time-saving, efficiency, and advancement, reflecting the railway's convenience to the Indonesian people. With the railway now in operation, travel time between Jakarta, the largest city in Indonesia, and Bandung, the third largest, has been reduced from over three hours to just 46 minutes. Indonesia has thus become the only country outside China to operate high- speed rail at a commercial speed of 350 kilometers per hour. The construction and operation of the Jakarta– Bandung High- Speed Railway have strengthened China–Indonesia's cooperation in the railway sector, with both sides now studying the possibility of further extending the line.
"Greater Connectivity": A Long-Held Dream Realized. Thirty years ago, ASEAN leaders proposed building the Southeast Asia section of the Pan-Asian Railway. However, the proposal made little substantive progress for a long time due to constraints such as funding, technology, and international political environment. Today, projects like the China–Laos Railway, the Jakarta–Bandung HSR, the China–Thailand Railway under construction, and the planned Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong standard-gauge railway in Vietnam have injected fresh momentum into the long-awaited development of a Southeast Asian rail network. A new driver of regional cooperation is gradually taking shape.
Beyond land routes, China and ASEAN countries have also jointly pioneered the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, creating a new model of "rail-road-sea" multimodal transport. With Chongqing and Singapore serving as dual hubs, the corridor has gained rapid traction—expanding from a single route to a network reaching 560 ports in 127 countries and regions worldwide as of the end of February 2025. Regarding the Air Silk Road, the air passenger and cargo transportation network between China and ASEAN continues to grow denser, making the region the most open aviation market in the world.
Where energy infrastructure connectivity is concerned, China Southern Power Grid has established grid interconnections with ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar through multiple transmission lines of 110 kv and above, enabling the orderly exchange of cross-border electricity. Clean energy accounts for over 90% of this power exchange, providing strong support for coordinated regional economic development and meeting essential electricity needs. This interconnected power network has created a regional structure of mutual assistance in managing electricity surpluses and shortages, where a "grid-led power supply" model helps reduce the intensity of power resource development. The project has also pioneered a demonstration model for "wetdry season power exchange" in electricity cooperation. Since the hydropower output characteristics of the participating countries are similar to those of the receiving provinces in China, the project integrates the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—which has a strong demand for clean electricity and a high degree of compatibility between power load and hydropower output—into the adjustment network. These efforts allow for broader seasonal electricity exchanges, optimizing the allocation of clean energy across a wider area. As a result, this innovative model for clean power utilization serves as an essential example for further advancing cross-border electricity cooperation.
2. Solid Progress in "Small yet Smart" Projects Benefit the People
"Small yet smart projects directly affect the people. In the future, we should prioritize such projects in our international cooperation, enhance overall planning, make good use of foreign aid funds to achieve maximum impact with minimal input, and develop more grounded and people-oriented initiatives." That was the heartfelt expectation expressed by President Xi Jinping at the third Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation in 2021. While large-scale infrastructure has profoundly reshaped China–ASEAN connectivity, a range of "small yet smart" livelihood projects have also made steady progress, improving the lives and livelihoods of people across the region and contributing to poverty alleviation and job creation in ASEAN countries.
"Small yet Smart" Projects Synergize with Large-Scale Infrastructure. Integrating large infrastructure projects with smaller supporting facilities and livelihood assistance initiatives has become common in advancing BRI cooperation. In Laos, for example, alongside the construction of the China–Laos Railway—dubbed the "golden corridor"—resettlement villages were built for residents affected by the project. Four such sites were developed along the railway in Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, and Luang Prabang provinces. These villages were equipped with schools, health clinics, public restrooms, and other essential facilities precisely tailored to meet local needs and significantly improve the host communities' well-being.
"Leaving Behind a Team That Stays." As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." In 2016, the first overseas Luban Workshop was established in Thailand. Over the past decade, the program has expanded to several ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The workshops offer training in information technology, mechanical manufacturing, construction engineering, e-commerce, and CNC (computer numerical control) technology—closely aligned with the development needs of partner countries. The Luban Workshops have received wide acclaim for their high talent cultivation and program design standards. Several international-level teaching standards developed through the initiative have been approved by partner countries' education authorities and incorporated into their national education systems.
As project construction progresses, vocational education has become a key area of talent cooperation. The China- aided Laos Railway Vocational and Technical College project, one of the core supporting initiatives of the China-Laos Railway, has filled the gap in Laos' railway technical education. During the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway construction process, the college trained 45,000 Indonesians, cultivating many skilled workers in welding, electrical engineering, machinery, and concrete pouring. At the EMPP power plant in Malacca, Malaysia, Edra Power Holdings Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of CGN Energy International Holdings Co., Ltd., is training local talent in power plant operations. In March 2024, the Cambodia-China Applied Technology University—the first overseas applied technology university established by China's vocational education sector—officially opened, welcoming its first batch of undergraduate students. Implementing these projects has helped host countries build "a workforce that stays," empowering talent development through knowledge and skills exchange and injecting vitality into deepening connectivity across multiple fields.
Disaster Relief and Poverty Reduction: Prioritizing People's Well-Being. China and ASEAN have continuously strengthened cooperation mechanisms and platforms for disaster management, rolling out a series of practical measures. In December 2022, the first China-ASEAN Forum on Emergency Management Cooperation was successfully held. China and Indonesia jointly built an earthquake early warning network, provided seismic monitoring equipment to Laos, shared relevant data with Thailand through China's National Earth Observation Data Sharing Platform, and offered multiple rounds of disaster relief assistance to the Philippines in response to typhoons.
China's targeted poverty alleviation model has gained wide recognition and promotion across ASEAN countries. Joint village-level poverty reduction projects have been implemented with countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Among them, pilot cooperation projects in Bansok Village in Vientiane and Xianglong Village in Luang Prabang Province, Laos, have become successful examples of "empowerment- based" poverty alleviation. In Myanmar, Aikyawda Village, the demonstration site of a Chinese supported poverty reduction project, was selected as the field visit destination during the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication in 2019.
3. "Digital"and "Green" Become Key Words in Innovation Cooperation
Expanding Momentum in Digital Cooperation. In recent years, China and ASEAN have launched a series of collaborative initiatives in digital technology. These include Beidou satellite navigation application projects targeting countries such as Indonesia and Laos; a jointly constructed China–Thailand submarine cable project that enables broadband connectivity between the two countries; the establishment of cloud computing centers in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar; and the China–Singapore joint project, the "NUS Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Incubation Center." Focusing on the Action Plan to Implement the China–ASEAN Digital Economy Partnership (2021– 2025), the two sides have steadily advanced win-win cooperation in smart cities, 5G, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, big data, blockchain, and telemedicine.
In addition, China and ASEAN are working to build effective mechanisms for cooperation in digital security, jointly enhancing their capabilities and resilience in the digital domain. Based on principles of fairness, mutual benefit, and complementarity, the two sides are setting a new model for international cooperation in digital governance, laying a solid foundation for the future development of regional rules and standards.
Sustained Momentum in Green Economy Cooperation. China and ASEAN share strong incentives for collaboration in the green economy. In 2021, the two sides adopted the China–ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Framework (2021–2025) to jointly address climate challenges, focusing on clean energy industry chains and applying environmental protection technologies. China has also pledged to provide ASEAN with 1,000 advanced and applicable technologies to support its green economic transition. Mechanisms, such as the China–ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology and the Technology Transfer Center, have been established to promote policy alignment and joint research and development, particularly in clean energy technologies. Platforms such as the China–ASEAN Clean Energy Cooperation Network and the China–ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Center further support collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions.
Furthermore, the Action Plan for a Closer China–ASEAN Science and Technology Innovation Partnership Toward the Future (2021–2025), issued in 2021, identifies life sciences, marine science and technology, and microelectronics as priority areas for cooperation while also proposing exploration of new collaboration models aligned with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. At the 12th Meeting of the China–ASEAN Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation in 2024, further initiatives were proposed, including enhanced cooperation among science parks, exchange programs for young scientists, and targeted technology transfer initiatives to improve the regional innovation ecosystem.
4. People-to-People Exchanges Enhance Mutual Understanding and Regional Trust
As the saying goes, "Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state- to- state relations." Thirty years ago, China and ASEAN established a dialogue partnership, becoming pioneers in regional cooperation. Bound by intertwined cultures and shared future, China and ASEAN countries enjoy a long history of friendly interaction. People-to-people exchange has become an enduring spiritual bond linking both sides. Over time, such exchanges have produced positive results continuously, with the concept of a shared future gaining deeper roots in people's hearts.
Increasing Diversity in Cultural and Tourism Exchanges. Under the frameworks of China–ASEAN (10+1), ASEAN Plus Three (10+3), RCEP, and the BRI, cultural and tourism cooperation mechanisms between China and ASEAN countries have steadily improved. Cooperation platforms have grown more diverse, and areas of collaboration have expanded. Together, they have established a comprehensive, multi-level, multichannel mechanism and network for cultural and tourism exchange.
China and ASEAN have successfully organized a wide range of cultural exchange events, including the ASEAN Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Forum, the Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival, the China–ASEAN Culture and Arts Week, the China–ASEAN Culture and Tourism Week, and the China–ASEAN (Nanning) Theater Week. They have also jointly proposed the establishment of a China–ASEAN Library Alliance. In addition, cities from China, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and other countries have co-launched the Silk Road Tourism Cities Alliance.
During the 2024 China–ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges, the Joint Initiative on Strengthening Regional Tourism Cooperation Between China and ASEAN was released. Related activities have continued to grow in depth and scope, sparking a new wave of cultural and people-to-people exchange and cooperation between the two sides.
Education Cooperation Deepens. Education is a vital component of China–ASEAN people-to-people exchanges, and talent cultivation is a key pillar for the development of both sides. China and ASEAN countries have engaged in multi-level, multifaceted educational collaboration. The number of exchange students between the two sides has exceeded 200,000, and Chinese universities now offer programs in all ten official ASEAN languages. Most ASEAN countries have incorporated the Chinese language into their national education systems, and 48 Confucius Institutes have been established throughout the region. Platforms such as the China–ASEAN Youth Exchange Week, the China–ASEAN Young Leaders Scholarship, and Luban Workshops, along with initiatives like the "China–ASEAN Thousand- School Partnership Plan" and the "10,000-Training and Seminar Program," have steadily advanced, providing a broad stage for youth engagement and exchange.
Media Engagement Grows Stronger. Media exchanges and cooperation have become an indispensable force in deepening China–ASEAN relations and fostering exchange and mutual learning between civilizations. Media cooperation continues to expand through joint reporting, cultural visits, co- produced programming, collaborative content sharing, and forums. The two sides have co- hosted events such as the China–ASEAN Year of Media Exchange, the China–ASEAN Audiovisual Week, and the Lancang–Mekong TV Week. According to incomplete statistics, in recent years, more than 70 Chinese audiovisual works—amounting to over 1,200 episodes—have been translated and broadcast on mainstream television channels and digital platforms across multiple ASEAN countries. Meanwhile, Chinese television networks and digital platforms have introduced more than 300 ASEAN audiovisual programs, totaling over 9,500 episodes.
The above practices of China–ASEAN cooperation—especially in institutional innovation—carry significant weight both regionally and globally. They challenge outdated regional economic development models by enhancing infrastructure connectivity and reconfiguring industrial chains, breaking away from the traditional "core-periphery" framework. In doing so, they promote greater equality and mutual benefit, helping to elevate both sides within global value chains. At the same time, they offer an "Asian model" for global governance—one that emphasizes development and sovereign equality and provides a more inclusive, open alternative. This cooperation also supports the creation of shared mechanisms for delivering regional public goods. Rather than relying on unilateral dominance, China and ASEAN have built a framework grounded in consultation, joint construction, and mutual benefit. In essence, China–ASEAN cooperation has pioneered a new approach that transcends traditional trade and investment paradigms. It is more equitable, mutually beneficial, and genuinely win-win. It has strengthened regional trust, enhanced the region's global standing, improved industrial and supply chain integration and resilience, and made a meaningful contribution to advancing global economic governance.
Chapter 2&3: To be Continued…
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