China–ASEAN Trade Nears $1,05 Trillion as Surplus Hits $278 Billion

China and Hong Kong investment in Thailand hit $922 million in 2025, approvals up 125% to $6.27 billion, $2.08 billion to EEC
Containers at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chon Buri province, Thailand, on June 25, 2024. (Photo by Nutthawat Wichieanbut / Bangkok Post / Bangkok Post via AFP)

China and ASEAN are set to pass the trade threshold in 2025, with nearly $1.05 trillion in goods. That would leave China with a surplus that swells past $278 billion, a big step up from 2024.

Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia are fueling the imbalance.

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by Edwin Shri Bimo

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