(W.E. Talk) Expert urges deeper economic and security cooperation between China and ASEAN to foster new growth

The year 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.

At this important juncture, cooperation between China and ASEAN continues to deepen, with bilateral ties entering a critical stage of qualitative upgrading amid a complex and fast-changing international landscape, said Xu Liping, senior research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), in an interview with China News Network’s “W.E. Talk” program. 

Discussing the building of a China-ASEAN community with a shared future, as well as economic, trade and security cooperation, Xu also pointed out that, against the backdrop of growing global uncertainty and instability, China and ASEAN enjoy broad space for strategic coordination.

Going forward, the two sides can inject sustained momentum into bilateral ties through cooperation in energy, food and security, as well as by expanding the scope of zero-tariff arrangements under their free trade agreement. China and ASEAN can further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership and work together toward an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. (Feng Xiaoyan)