INTRODUCTION

The advance of industrialization in China and its continuously high economic growth have attracted worldwide attention. The entry into the WTO in 2001 has brought China into a new era of development. As a large country in East Asia, China has played an increasingly important role in the region's economic development and cooperation. Since the signing of the “Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between ASEAN and China” in November 2002, the economic relationship between China and ASEAN has become closer and closer, where trade relations is the focus. Therefore, this chapter intends to present a survey on the trade relationship between China and ASEAN. The origin of the trade relations between China and ASEAN will be addressed first, followed by the development process of China-ASEAN trade relations, and finally its prospects.

ORIGIN

Because of history, geo-politics, and past migration in the region, Southeast Asian polities play important roles in China's surrounding environment, economic development, external economic relations and foreign policy commitment.

Trade Relations in Ancient Times

Trade relations between China and Southeast Asian countries can be traced back to early ancient times, about the third century B.C., when the so-called “maritime Silk Road” went by way of present Southeast Asia from the Chinese southeastern coast. Many coastal cities and ports of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand were on the Silk Road. According to historical records, China had established tributary relations with some Southeast Asia polities by the Sung dynasty (960–1280), and the mission under the tribute system was actually a “cloak for trade”. So, it is commonly described as “tribute trade”, which is an official trade relationship. Especially in the fifteenth century, the Ming dynasty sent many eunuch-led voyages to what we now know as Southeast Asia, among which the Zheng He voyages were very famous.