2014 was the first year of the “Diamond Decade”of ASEAN-China Cooperation and the second decade of ASEAN-China strategic partnership.The trade and economic relationship between ASEAN and China went into a new area of an omni-directional, multi-level and deep-ranging pattern.
Intensive visits of leaders promoted the traditional friendly and practical cooperation. Leaders of ASEAN countries paid state visits and attended BOAO Asian Forum, Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), China-ASEAN Expo, APEC Informal Meeting etc, expressed their strong wishes to further cooperate with China. In the middle of November 2014, Premier Li Keqiang attended the ASEAN-related Summits held in Myanmar, and paid a state visit to Myanmar, which promoted the exchange and cooperation as well as traditional friendship between China and ASEAN countries.
Trade between ASEAN and China enjoyed steady growth, trade scale with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam increased rapidly.
From January to December 2014, trade value between ASEAN and China reached US$480 billion, with 8.23% increase on the basis of last year.ASEAN was the third biggest trade partner of China,ranking after the U.S. And EU. Among which China’s exports was US$ 271.8billion,while imports reached US$ 208.3 billion,increased by 11.36% and 4.41% respectively.Regarding the specific countries,bilateral trade between China and Myanmar doubled with increase rate reached 146.03%. Trade value with Laos and Vietnam increased by 31.87% and 27.54% respectively, much higher than the average increase rate of 6.1% of which China 's total trade with the whole countries. China's trade with Singapore and Thailand keep with a quite low increase which was 4.92%、1.98% respectively. Trade with Malaysia decreased by 3.87%. At present, ASEAN was the second biggest imports source and fourth biggest exporting markets of China. Mutual investment between ASEAN and China cumulative to about US$130 billion, but increase rate of the actual investment slowed down and ASEAN’s FDI to China decreased by 24.53%.
According to the statistics of MOFCOM, the total FDI of Chinese enterprises accumulative to US$35.2 billion till the end of December 2014. While the new added non financial FDI was US$5.88 billion, increased by 2.5%. ASEAN’s FDI to China added up to US$91.74 billion among which newly added investment of 2014 was US$6.3 billion, decreased by 24.53 on the basis of 2013.