Advancing shared modernization

China and ASEAN, standing at the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, can raise their level of cooperation despite the challenges of unilateralism and protectionism

This year marks both the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Looking back on more than a decade of joint development, the Belt and Road Initiative has not only strengthened connectivity between China and ASEAN, but also become a key force in maintaining regional stability and advancing shared modernization, offering a new paradigm for modernization among countries of the Global South.

The achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation under the BRI are reflected mainly in three areas.

First, connectivity in infrastructure has been steadily strengthened. The China-Laos Railway has transformed Laos from a landlocked country into a land-linked one, unlocking the economic potential of the central route of the Pan-Asian railway network. In 2025, passenger trips on the railway reached 19.51 million, up 2.1 percent year-on-year, while cargo transport surged to 24.48 million metric tons, up 24.6 percent year-on-year, further amplifying its role as a “golden corridor”. Anchored by the railway, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is rapidly becoming an efficient trade route linking China, Europe and ASEAN, reshaping connectivity across the Eurasian continent. The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has emerged as a flagship symbol of Indonesia’s modernization. Meanwhile, the China-Thailand Railway and Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link are progressing steadily, while port clusters including Kuantan Port and Laem Chabang Port are strengthening coordination. Together with the digital upgrading of border crossings, these projects have significantly facilitated cross-border trade flows, boosting employment and diversified economic activities across the region.

Second, “soft connectivity” in rules and standards has deepened. At the institutional level, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol was signed in October 2025, establishing for the first time a comprehensive framework covering digital infrastructure and regulatory standards. In terms of standardization cooperation, the two sides have held multiple forums and promoted mutual recognition of standards in key sectors including transportation, smart industries and digital trade. China has also worked with Laos, Cambodia and other countries to build more than 1,067 hectares of agricultural standardization demonstration zones, where yields have generally increased by over 15 percent. In the area of digital trade and customs facilitation, the international trade “single window” now allows self-service printing of certificates of origin, helping Chinese companies move from simply exporting products to exporting entire industries.

Third, people-to-people connectivity has strengthened the social foundation of cooperation. In talent development, Luban Workshops established in several ASEAN countries are supporting the upgrading of local manufacturing sectors while training large numbers of skilled local workers. Scholarship programs such as the Chinese Government Scholarship continue to support ASEAN students studying in China, gradually becoming a natural bridge for closer ties between peoples. China has comprehensive mutual visa exemption agreements with Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, making travel increasingly convenient. In terms of livelihood improvement, projects such as the Lancang-Mekong clean drinking water program and small-scale water conservancy initiatives have strengthened agricultural resilience and rural sanitation. Medical outreach programs such as the Brightness Action have also significantly improved people’s quality of life.

Yet as the world undergoes accelerated change — with geopolitical tensions intertwining with risks to global supply chains — China-ASEAN cooperation, despite its achievements, faces some challenges. On the one hand, unilateralism and protectionism are severely disrupting the international economic and trade order. Some external powers are attempting to construct alternative supply chains and technology standards designed to exclude China. Meanwhile, geopolitical polarization has heightened ASEAN’s strategic anxieties. Development disparities within ASEAN further complicate regulatory alignment. On the other hand, Western countries have introduced high thresholds in areas such as digital trade and environmental compliance, eroding the cost advantages of China-ASEAN cooperation.

Despite these challenges, China and ASEAN, standing at the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, have the capacity to elevate their cooperation to a higher level.

First, the two sides can build regional value chains focusing on new quality productive forces to advance the CAFTA 3.0 in a substantive manner, translating rules in emerging fields such as the digital economy and green transformation into tangible benefits. China’s technological advantages in emerging sectors can support the creation of a China-ASEAN “innovation corridor”, helping ASEAN accelerate digitization and green development, narrow the digital divide, advance the energy transition and strengthen collective resilience in addressing shared challenges.

Second, institutional opening-up can break the bottlenecks in soft connectivity. Together with countries such as Singapore, China can explore white list mechanisms for cross-border data flows and digital identity authentication. China and ASEAN can also explore establishing carbon sink trading mechanisms and a shared framework for green finance standards.

Third, China and ASEAN cooperation can be grounded in more “small and beautiful” projects. Initiatives such as Juncao technology, hybrid rice, vocational training, telemedicine stations and rural water supply systems can be expanded, promoting a development model that balances large-scale infrastructure with grassroots livelihood projects. Such efforts would allow more people to benefit directly from China-ASEAN cooperation.

Zhang Lei is the deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and an associate professor at the Institute of International Relations at Yunnan University. Li Wenying is a research assistant at the Institute of International Relations at Yunnan University.

The authors contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.