Chinese Companies Deepen Cross-Border Ecosystem Collaboration

In the office of Kang Dingwu, general manager of a technology company in eastern China, a world map marked with colourful pins illustrates an ever-expanding global footprint. This serves as tangible evidence of how Chinese companies are capitalising on a new wave of overseas expansion. The company, a private manufacturing firm in Jiangsu, recorded exports to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative amounting to 556 million yuan (1 yuan = Rp2,522) in 2025, surging 40% year-on-year. Kang stated that much of this momentum is driven by rapidly growing demand across Southeast Asia, where Chinese firms are increasingly carving out new market spaces. “Our four-wheeled electric vehicles, equipped with canopies for protection from sun and rain and two rows of seats that also function as cargo space, have proven extremely popular among larger households in the ASEAN market,” Kang added. The rise of such companies reflects a broader manufacturing engine. In Wuxi’s Xishan District, one of China’s main production hubs for electric bicycles, vehicles roll off the assembly line at a rate of 2.4 units per minute, destined for markets worldwide. Customs data indicate steady growth in shipments to ASEAN countries throughout 2025. The year 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Amid global uncertainties, Chinese companies are accelerating their focus shift towards ASEAN, seeking to build more resilient trade and investment ecosystems through deeper regional integration. This shift is already evident on the ground. Recently, 785 units of Chinese-made engineering equipment were shipped from Jiangyin Port to Indonesia, where the equipment will support infrastructure development in Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara. New entrants are also exploring the market. Recently, 4,565 kilograms of frozen bread produced by a Jiangsu-based food company arrived in Singapore, marking its first export to the ASEAN market. “We are targeting regions with strong demand and clear improvements in consumption patterns, in hopes of opening up new growth spaces,” said Chen Shuang, the company’s import-export manager. Trade data confirm this trend. According to Nanjing Customs, Jiangsu’s total foreign trade reached 1.59 trillion yuan (1 yuan = Rp2,552) in the first quarter of 2026, up 17.2% year-on-year. Trade with ASEAN contributed 289.99 billion yuan, increasing 19.1%, with high-tech products emerging as the main driver of growth as companies diversify into new markets. Policy support is also playing a pivotal role. Jiangsu Dingsheng New Energy Materials Co., Ltd., a high-tech aluminium processing company, has expanded exports of its aluminium foil products to Indonesia, Thailand, and other countries. In the first two months of 2026, the company obtained certificates of origin for products worth 90 million yuan, resulting in tariff savings of over 4 million yuan, according to the company’s customs affairs manager. Xu Ningning, chair of the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, estimates that bilateral trade could surpass 10 trillion yuan by 2028, with intra-regional trade within the RCEP bloc expected to exceed 50% of the total. Bambang Suryo Aji, Indonesia’s Consul General in Shanghai, highlighted deepening cooperation in the digital and high-tech sectors, stating that Indonesia, as Southeast Asia’s largest digital economy, aims to position itself as a regional hub for digital ecosystems. Indonesia has achieved interoperability in quick response (QR) code payments with China as of 2025, with local currency payments covering 45% of total transactions. Business leaders envision the future with dual engines. Chen Yonglan, chair of the China Carbon Neutral Development Group, stated that digitalisation and green transformation are serving as twin drivers of trade and investment growth. Chen called for leveraging complementary industries to build computation-based economies, green finance centres, and digital trade platforms across the region. Officials at Nanjing Customs stated that further efforts will be made to streamline regulations and leverage policy advantages, helping companies accelerate their regional expansion and sustain the growth trend in economic ties between China and Southeast Asia.