By Luo Yongkun

The year 2021 marks the 30th anni- versary of the establishment of the dialogue partnership between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations （ASEAN）. Over this period， cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has continuously progressed， turning both sides into strategically important players within the Asia-Pacific region.

Achievements

The past decades witnessed the improvement of bilateral relations across various fields. They have not only established a strategic partnership and a free trade area to strengthen their practical cooperation， but also extended their cultural and people-to-people exchanges， and enhanced security ties by combating common threats. Moreover， by preserving close coordination and cooperation on both international and regional issues， they have played a key role in stabilizing the region. China and ASEAN have been jointly building a closer community with a shared future in recent years.

In 1991， China was invited to participate in ASEAN-related meetings， starting forging a relationship with the countries involved. However， due to the impact of the Cold War， ASEAN countries trust toward China， at that time， was relatively low. With the involvement of China in the ASEAN-centered regional mechanism， especially Chinas help in overcoming the financial crisis of 1997-98， the previously held perspective on China started to change. In the aftermath， specifically since 2001， relations between China and ASEAN countries grew to become highly encouraging.

Among all ASEAN dialogue partners， China took the lead in acceding to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and established a strategic partnership with the bloc in 2003. From 2008 to 2012， China created comprehensive strategic cooperative partnerships with five countries on the Indochina Peninsula. Moving forward， Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Indonesia and Malaysia in 2013 to upgrade the relationship with the two countries to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Afterward， China established an all-round cooperative partnership with Singapore， a strategic cooperative partnership with Brunei， as well as comprehensive strategic cooperative relations with the Philippines. Currently， China and ASEAN are in talks to forge a higher level of strategic partnership.

In 2020， trade volume between China and ASEAN reached $685 billion， exceeding the China-U.S. and China-EU volume. But in 1991， this number stood below $8 billion. ASEAN has become the biggest trading partner for China and China has remained ASEANs top trading partner for 12 years running， since 2009.