BEIJING — China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will carry out cooperation in the digital economy this year, according to the opening ceremony for the China-ASEAN digital economy cooperation year held on June 12.

China and ASEAN will expand cooperation in 5G, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, industrial internet, as well as digital epidemic prevention, said Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei at the virtual opening ceremony.

By 2025, ASEAN's digital economy is expected to increase from 1.3 percent of GDP in 2015 to 8.5 percent, ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said.

China is at the forefront of the development of digital infrastructure and is a valuable partner of ASEAN in promoting the development of the digital economy in the region, he said.

During the January-May period, ASEAN was China's largest trading partner, with trade up by 4.2 percent year-on-year to 1.7 trillion yuan (about $241 billion), accounting for 14.7 percent of China's total foreign trade, customs data showed.