By PITI SRISANGNAM
Across the global landscape, rising protectionism, tariff barriers and trade tensions threaten to fragment international commerce.
Certain countries are increasingly weaponizing trade. Yet, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have chosen a different destiny. They are deepening free trade, reinforcing regional resilience, and defending the collective dignity of our continent.
China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, awaiting ratifi cation by signatory economies, represents more than just a technical upgrade of commercial terms. It signals a profound declaration of regional self-reliance and shared strength.
Today, integration encompasses cutting-edge digital trade networks, green energy transitions, unbreakable supply chain connectivity, and cross-border service ecosystems designed by China and ASEAN for the long-term prosperity of their peoples.
China and ASEAN are indispensable, interconnected engines of global value chains. Every nation within this vibrant matrix brings distinct comparative advantages and sovereign dignity, while bravely overcoming structural challenges.
China anchors the matrix as an industrial powerhouse and innovation driver, supported by a massive domestic market, state-of-the-art technological infrastructure, and deep manufacturing ecosystems.
Singapore functions as a premier global fi nancial, logistical, and technology node.
Thailand and Vietnam are vital manufacturing arteries in high-tech electronics, automotive assembly, and advanced agriculture.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei possess vast natural wealth, strategic maritime passages, critical green-transition minerals such as nickel and can channel dynamic youth capital into high-value downstream processing.
By unlocking crucial land-linked logistics corridors, exemplifi ed by the Laos-China Railway, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar turn geography into industrial strength and bridge development gaps across the Mekong region.
Upgrading the economic architecture through CAFTA 3.0 promises transformative outcomes for the region. First, it safeguards the sovereignty of regional states through trade and investment. Second, it fosters knowledge and technology sovereignty. Third, it deepens the civilizational bonds and people-to-people trust between China and Southeast Asia.
Commerce fuels human connections. As educational exchanges, cultural tourism and joint ventures flourish, the historical bonds between ASEAN nations and China grow resilient against external divide-and-rule tactics.
Finally, it promotes sustainable growth on our own terms.
Integrating green standards and cross-border digital frameworks ensures that economic growth preserves regional ecosystems while raising the living standards of future generations.
In an era where extra-regional powers construct walls, China and ASEAN are building bridges. By anchoring their future in shared value chains and regional solidarity, they have ensured that the destiny of the region remains fi rmly in the hands of their own peoples.
The author is the executive director of the ASEAN Foundation in Indonesia and an associate professor of economics at Chulalongkorn University. This is an abridged version of an article that appeared in China Daily. The views do not necessarily refl ect those of China Daily.
SONG CHEN / CHINA DAILY
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