Against the backdrop of the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), agricultural trade between China and ASEAN plays a significant role in maintaining regional and even global food security. This study employs the Social Network Analysis (SNA) in conjunction with the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) method to scrutinize the structural characteristics and driving factors of the agricultural product trade network between China and ASEAN countries. The research findings reveal that: (1) The agricultural products trade network between China and ASEAN is experiencing a continuous expansion in scale and complexity. Furthermore, its structure is gradually evolving from a dual-core model to a single-center model, with China emerging as the central node in this regional food supply network. (2) The escalating connectivity within this trade network is characterized by a heightened degree of clustering coefficients and a notable enhancement in reachability. Overall, it embodies the quint essential "small world" network attributes. (3) In terms of primary trading partners, the core agricultural products trade circle of China within the ASEAN region is comprised of Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. In terms of primary trade categories, crops such as grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, natural rubber, and animal and plant oils and fats occupy a dominant position in bilateral agricultural product trade flows and value chains. (4) The establishment and evolution of trade relations are jointly influenced by socioeconomic factors and alliance relationships. Concurrently, geographical accessibility plays a pivotal role in shaping the dynamic variations in trade intensity. In light of the aforementioned research findings, China should deepen its economic collaboration with ASEAN members. Through collaborative efforts, they can establish a robust and efficient agricultural trade system with enhanced risk mitigation mechanisms. In the future, China ought to further strengthen agricultural product trade with ASEAN countries and bolster the robustness of agricultural supply chains.
WANG et al. (Thu,) studied this question.