A conference on agricultural industry cooperation between China and ASEAN was held in Weifang, Shandong province on Thursday, aiming to promote complementary resources and build a platform for agricultural exchanges between the two sides.

The conference is part of the 2026 China (Shandong)-ASEAN Exchange Series activities.

China-ASEAN trade exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, up 7.4 percent year-on-year. ASEAN has remained China's largest trading partner for agricultural products for eight consecutive years.

Zhao Hong, director of the trade and investment division at the ASEAN-China Centre, said that China will make full use of RCEP rules of origin and customs facilitation to enable high-quality fresh products, such as tropical fruits from ASEAN and vegetables from Weifang to reach each other's markets more efficiently.

She encouraged enterprises on both sides to strengthen cooperation in areas such as germplasm innovation, smart agricultural equipment and deep processing, with the goal of building a complete cross-border agricultural industry chain.

Sata Arayakul, consul general of Thailand in Qingdao, Shandong province, noted that Thailand's agricultural policies align closely with China's, with both sides committed to enhancing the quality and value of agricultural products and services. He highlighted that Thailand and Shandong can deepen cooperation in modern agriculture, high-value food processing, and agricultural trade and logistics.

Vei Samnang, governor of Takeo province in Cambodia, said investors can enjoy corporate income tax exemptions or reductions for three to nine years depending on the scale and type of investment. The provincial government will also simplify administrative procedures and investment project registration processes.

ASEAN has remained Shandong's largest trading partner for seven consecutive years, with trade volume reaching 663.15 billion yuan ($95.92 billion) in 2025.

Chen Baiwei, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong, unveiled the key projects for the 2026 exchange series, covering economic and trade cooperation, cultural tourism and education.

Several agreements were signed on site, including initiatives to establish a global digital trade center for the agricultural industry and a global center for agricultural service trade.