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

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.

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.

Welcome to Foreign Policy ’s Southeast Asia Brief.

China has called on its neighbours Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN countries to make greater efforts in science and technology, including carrying out joint scientific and technological research, according to the official Xinhua.

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.

The signing of the upgraded Asean-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA 3.0), the closing ceremony of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits, and the

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.