FACTBOX: Trade between China and ASEAN

NANNING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged Wednesday to step up trade ties at a forum of the 6th China-ASEAN Expo held from Oct. 20 to 24.

The Expo was aimed at embracing the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area which is due for operation on January 1, 2010.

The following are facts about trade between China and some of the ASEAN members as of the end of 2008:

China was the fourth largest trade partner of Malaysia. Malaysia's imports from China accounted for 12.8 percent of the total, which made China Malaysia's biggest import source. China was also the fourth largest destination for Malaysia's exports with nine percent from China.

China was the second largest trade partner of Singapore, with trade value taking up 9.9 percent of Singapore's total foreign trade.

China was the second largest trade partner of Thailand, the third largest export destination and the second largest import source. Thailand's exports to China accounted for 9.1 percent of its total exports, and imports from China accounted for 11.2 percent of its total.

China was the third largest trade partner of the Philippines, with trade value accounting for 9.2 percent of the total foreign trade of the Phillippines.

China was Vietnam's largest trade partner, the largest import source and the third largest export destination.

China was Indonesia's third largest trade partner, the second largest import source and the fourth largest export market.

China was the second largest trade partner of Myanmar, and the third largest of Laos.