BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN — China maintained its position as ASEAN’s top trading partner despite the ongoing pandemic that has disrupted economic activities all over the world, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah said on Friday.
In his titah at the virtual opening ceremony of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning, China, His Majesty said ASEAN and China registered an increase in total merchandise trade in 2020.
This underscored the strong economic ties and business linkages that characterised the long-standing relationship between ASEAN and China, he added.
Trade between China and ASEAN reached US$684.6 billion last year.
China has been the regional bloc’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. As of June this year, mutual investment between China and ASEAN exceeded US$310 billion.
Date of Release: 11 September 2021
September 29, 2021
