Addressing the event, ASEAN chief Lim Jock Hoi highlighted the partnership between ASEAN and China in politics, economics, trade and culture over the past 15 years.
Currently, China is the largest trade partner of ASEAN and helps the grouping develop smart cities, Lim said.
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Officials posing for a photo at the 15th anniversary of ASEAN - China Strategic Partnership |
On the occasion, a photo exhibition commemorating the 15th anniversary of ASEAN - China Strategic Partnership opened. Themed “Living in Harmony,” the event brings vivid images on the land and people of China and ASEAN member countries to visitors.
China, the first country signing the strategic partnership with ASEAN, is the biggest trade partner of the grouping, while ASEAN is the third largest partner of China.
Trade volume between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China hit a record high in 2017, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
Bilateral trade totaled USD 514.8 billion last year, up 13.8 percent year on year. China's exports to ASEAN countries reached USD 279.1 billion in 2017, up 9 percent year on year, while imports grew 20 percent year-on-year to stand at USD 235.7 billion.
ASEAN – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: VNA