On September 23, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun presided over a regular press conference. A reporter asked: Recently, the total number of freight trains on the China-Laos Railway has exceeded 60,000, and the freight volume has achieved double-digit growth for three consecutive years. Commentary believes that the China-Laos Railway has become a "golden channel" connecting China and ASEAN countries. In recent years, China-ASEAN cooperation has continuously pressed the "acceleration key" and ran out of "acceleration". What further comments did the spokesperson have on the cooperation and development of China and ASEAN countries?

Guo Jiakun said that the China-Laos Railway is a model for China and ASEAN to jointly build the "Belt and Road" and promote regional economic integration, and witnessed the surging momentum of China and ASEAN countries in both directions. In recent years, pragmatic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has steadily advanced and fruitful results have been achieved. In 2024, the total trade value between China and ASEAN was nearly US$1 trillion, and the two sides have been each other's largest trading partners for five consecutive years. As of July 2025, the cumulative amount of two-way investment exceeded US$450 billion. From 2024 to 2025, the two sides jointly held a series of activities "China-ASEAN Cultural Exchange Year" to enhance personnel exchanges and people-to-people communication. The two sides also work together to create new highlights of cooperation such as digital economy, artificial intelligence, and new energy, and promote regional development to improve quality and new development. Not long ago, the 22nd China-ASEAN Expo was successfully held, and nearly 70 major new products were launched in the first release, fully demonstrating the unlimited potential of China and ASEAN countries to seize new development opportunities and open up new space for cooperation.

The more complex the international situation is, the more we must anchor the general direction of cooperation and the more we must implement the concept of win-win. We are willing to deepen connectivity with all parties, including ASEAN countries, and work together to promote regional integration and economic globalization, so that the dividends of open cooperation can benefit people of all countries more.