Despite various oppositions and stances taken against China in international organizations, over the past decade, China has achieved significant influence within both international and regional organizations and has sought to enhance its position by shaping norms, rules, and regulations. Among these, ASEAN has emerged as one of the most strategically important regional organizations attracting Chinese attention, providing substantial benefits to Beijing, which have become increasingly intertwined with the ASEAN region. Presently, China-ASEAN relations constitute one of the most complex interactions in the Asia-Pacific, having recently witnessed positive developments in both economic and political dimensions. Notably, China has derived greater benefits from the deepening of these relations compared to ASEAN member states, raising concerns among ASEAN officials in recent years. This article employs the theory of asymmetric economic dependence to examine China’s activism within this regional organization. From the perspective of this study, China has sought to preserve and enhance ASEAN’s asymmetric dependence on itself through promoting political and economic cooperation, while simultaneously preventing the rise of regional and international competitors within the organization.