China-Asean trade maintains robust growth amid Covid-19 pandemic

The Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park in Pahang, Malaysia, is a major project under the Belt and Road Initiative. - The Star/ANN

NANNING (Xinhua): Dongxing, a border city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region which is separated from Vietnam's Mong Cai by a narrow river, saw its wholesale market bustle with traders from Asean countries, a scene contrasting the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

"I pulled off my first business deal in China nine years ago, when I saw a daily turnover of less than US$100. Now online and offline transactions on a peak day can bring the total to over $400," said Pham Van Tan, a 31-year-old Vietnamese, who frequents the international wholesale market in Dongxing, also a seaport.