BEIJING, June 9 — China’s trade with Asean and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries continued to gain traction in the first five months of 2025, with trade between China and Asean rising 9.1 per cent year-on-year to CN¥3.02 trillion (US$415.5 billion).
Trade with BRI countries climbed 4.2 per cent to CN¥9.24 trillion, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Asean remained China's largest trading partner in the January-May period this year.
Overall, it said China's total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 2.5 per cent year-on-year to CN¥17.94 trillion (US$2.5 trillion) in the first five months, reflecting the resilience of foreign trade despite external headwinds.
The country's total exports rose 7.2 per cent year-on-year to CN¥10.67 trillion, while imports slid 3.8 per cent year-on-year to CN¥7.27 trillion between January and May this year.
Citing the report published in The Global Times, China's total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms grew by 2.7 per cent year-on-year to CN¥3.81 trillion in May alone.
Meanwhile, China’s trade with the European Union (EU) increased 2.9 per cent to CN¥2.3 trillion, while trade with the United States fell 8.1 per cent to CN¥1.72 trillion in the same five-month period.
The GAC said the country has maintained its foreign trade resilience and stable growth despite external environment challenges, and would continue implementing measures to optimise China’s trade structure to ensure high-quality development of foreign commerce.
— Bernama
