It’s the second upgrade of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) that was first inked in 2002 - making it then China’s first free trade agreement and ASEAN’s first with a major external partner. It then came into effect in 2010, with negotiations for the first upgrade starting in September 2014 and coming into force since 2019.

Beijing is hoping to use an expanded free trade deal to portray itself as the bloc’s alternative to the United States.

From the main plenary halls to the glitzy trade side meetings, China made its presence felt at the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim may have put ASEAN under global spotlight through his diplomatic engagements with US President Donald Trump in a recent summit, but questions remain over whether more tangible outcomes could be achieved during Malaysia’s chairmanship term.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday called for unity and coordination between China and ASEAN countries, citing “greater risks and challenges” posed by rising protectionism and external interference in the region.

Three days of talks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur wrapped up on Tuesday, once again underscoring the competition between the United States and China for influence in Southeast Asia.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Southeast Asia for the ASEAN Summit is expected to spotlight Beijing’s shifting trade and diplomatic priorities in the region. The discussions come as the region navigates rising U.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday urged Asia-Pacific leaders to choose dialogue over coercion and cooperation over confrontation, as he opened the East Asia summit at a time of sharpening rivalry between the United States and China.