1. The Twenty Fourth ASEAN Economic Ministers-Ministry of Commerce (AEM-MOFCOM) Consultation was held on 24 September 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Consultation was co-chaired by H.E. Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, and H.E. Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce of China. The Meeting also welcomed the participation of H.E. Filipus Nino Pereira, Minister of Commerce, and Industry, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as an observer.


2. The Meeting noted that based on ASEAN’s preliminary statistics, two-way merchandise trade between ASEAN and China stood at USD 772.4 billion in 2024, increasing by 10.6%. Meanwhile, the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow from China to ASEAN was recorded at USD 19.3 billion in the same year, increasing by 11.4%. These figures placed China as ASEAN’s largest trading partner and third largest source of foreign direct investment last year.

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