ASEAN, China share mutually beneficial partnership: secretary-general

ASEAN and China share a common commitment to their partnership, which features mutually beneficial economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and deepening connectivity in various areas, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said in an interview with China Media Group (CMG).

China and ASEAN enjoy geographical proximity, cultural affinity, and a long-standing friendship. Since establishing dialogue relations in 1991, the two sides have continuously deepened political mutual trust and practical cooperation, reaping fruitful results in various fields, including economic and trade cooperation, infrastructure, sci-tech innovation, and people-to-people exchanges.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has described China-ASEAN relations as the most successful and dynamic model in regional Asia-Pacific cooperation.

Agreeing with President Xi, Kao said the two sides focus on trade, investment, tourism, and connectivity in their bilateral cooperation.

"We have been trading together quite heavily, cutting across all commodities in different areas in economic cooperation. Second, look at investment. Of course, investment -- China has been number two, consistently, over so many years. Again, investment is important for ASEAN, because they have great jobs for the people. And third, look at also the area of tourism cooperation -- this part of people-to-people cooperation. So we've seen a lot of Chinese tourists over so many years. And at the same time, look at connectivity -- in terms of air connectivity, in terms of real connectivity, portable connectivity, people-to-people connectivity. All of these, I think, will demonstrate where the commitment lies between us and China," Kao said.

China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for the past five years.

Kao said he believes bilateral trade will continue to grow following the implementation of free trade agreements (FTAs) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

"It's growing. The number is there. But I don't think this number will stay there. It will continue to grow. Today, ASEAN has more than 671 million people -- the third ranking after China and India. So, it's up there. It's growing. Second, of course, increasingly, we are taking advantage of a number of opportunities. Of course, proximity. At the same time, we have the bilateral FTA -- ASEAN-China FTA. That's important for trade, for business community -- that they take advantage of this opportunity. At the same time, we have the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. And again, this is another level of opportunity to support trade. Ongoing trade between the two sides, I think, as a matter of fact, is about benefits -- mutual benefits on both sides," he said.

ASEAN, China share mutually beneficial partnership: secretary-general

Geoeconomic confrontation is the leading short-term global threat in 2026, the World Economic Forum (WEF) warned in its Global Risks Report 2026 released on Wednesday ahead of its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

The report ranks geoeconomic confrontation as the top risk for 2026, followed by interstate conflict, extreme weather, societal polarization, and misinformation and disinformation. It also identifies geoeconomic confrontation as the most severe risk over the next two years.

"I think if there is to be one key takeaway from the report, it's that we are entering an age of competition and this new competitive order is then shaping current global risks, but it is also shaping and to some extent hindering our ability to actually cope with them. That's really the key takeaway. If we take a look at, the number one risk both for 2026 and two years out, it's dual economic confrontation. But then if we look at the risks 10 years out. It's really the climate and environment related risks. All of these things require global cooperation and that's where we're seeing a big backsliding in this new age of competition," said Saadia Zahidi, managing director of the WEF.

Economic risks showed the largest increase in the two-year outlook, with concerns over economic downturns, inflation, rising debt and potential asset bubbles intensifying amid geoeconomic tensions, the report said.

Environmental risks remain the most severe overall, led by extreme weather, biodiversity loss and critical changes to Earth systems. The report noted that three-quarters of respondents expect a turbulent environmental outlook.

Risks related to adverse outcomes of artificial intelligence rose sharply, climbing from 30th in the two-year horizon to fifth in the 10-year outlook, reflecting concerns over impacts on labor markets, society and security.

The 21st edition of the report draws on views from more than 1,300 experts, policymakers and industry leaders.

The WEF's annual meeting will be held in Davos from Jan 19 to 23 and draw nearly 3,000 guests from more than 130 countries and regions to participate.

"So overall, we are starting to see this shift away from what have traditionally been the ways in which people have been able to cooperate. Now, that is not to say that any of this is a foregone conclusion. And I think that's a really important message around the risks report. None of this is set in stone. All of this is in the hands of leaders. Whether they choose to cooperate and invest in resilience or whether they do not. So that's really what we'll be focused on next week in Davos bringing leaders together under this overall theme of 'a spirit of dialogue' and trying to reestablish relationships, cooperation and trust. That's the fundamental," said Zahidi.

WEF warns of rising geoeconomic risks in 2026