(ECNS) — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has remained the largest trading partner of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for 25 consecutive years, local customs authorities announced on Monday.

In 2024, Guangxi’s foreign trade volume exceeded 750 billion yuan ($103.05 billion) for the first time, reaching a record high of 756.39 billion yuan, a 9.4 percent increase year-on-year.

According to the latest statistics released by Nanning Customs, trade between Guangxi and the ASEAN reached 397.82 billion yuan in 2024, up 17.2 percent year-on-year. Notably, its trade with Vietnam totaled 295.58 billion yuan, an increase of 16.4 percent year-on-year.

At present, Guangxi is positioned as a key gateway and distribution hub for fruit trade between China and ASEAN countries, particularly Vietnam.

In the first 11 months of 2024, Guangxi’s agricultural trade with Vietnam registered 18.37 billion yuan, up 17.7 percent year-on-year. Fruit imports and exports made up over 40 percent of the total and accounted for more than one-third of China’s fruit trade with ASEAN.

Since the beginning of 2024, Guangxi’s consumer market has maintained good recovery momentum, with imported products such as Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian palm oil, and Thai mangosteen gaining significant popularity among Chinese customers.