Hanoi, May 12 -- Yunnan province of China continues to record strong foreign trade growth, driven in large part by deepening economic ties with ASEAN member states - a testament to the enduring strength of China-ASEAN economic cooperation amid rising global protectionism, according to the China Daily.

The journal cited data from Kunming Customs showing that ASEAN has remained Yunnan's largest trading partner for 20 consecutive years. In 2024, trade between Yunnan and ASEAN reached 109.32 billion RMB (15.1 billion USD) while in the first quarter of this year alone, bilateral trade totalled 23.96 billion RMB.

As China's gateway to South and Southeast Asia, Yunnan has seen increasingly close economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN in rec...