There is an additional challenge for the ASEAN region, arising from its success in plugging into the fast
growing Chinese and Indian economies, which would bring out the importance of ASEAN Connectivity.
Specifically, ASEAN-China trade, at an average growth rate of 24 percent per year, grew twice the growth
rate of intra-ASEAN trade during 2000-2009, so much so that the level of ASEAN-China trade reached
43 percent of intra-ASEAN trade in 2009 as against 19 percent in 2000. Similarly, ASEAN-India trade
has picked up tremendous steam since 2004, also growing at 24 percent per annum during 2004-2009;
although the ratio of ASEAN-India trade to the total intra-ASEAN trade was just at 11 percent by 2009.
Intra-ASEAN trade did not only grow more slowly than ASEAN-China trade and ASEAN-India trade but
also declined more during recessionary years including 2009 (refer to Figure 3.1).