China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
The new pact, concluded in May after 18 months of negotiations, widens the 2010 China–ASEAN Free Trade Area to cover the digital and green economies as well as supply-chain resilience, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.
Wang said the two sides had also endorsed a five-year action plan that sets out cooperation in more than 40 policy areas ranging from e-commerce standards to renewable-energy investment.
China and ASEAN aim to finish drafting a code of conduct for the South China Sea by next year, he added, describing the guidelines as a step towards managing overlapping territorial claims. Several ASEAN states, including the Philippines and Viet Nam, dispute Beijing’s expansive maritime claims.
Bilateral trade has expanded rapidly in recent years: two-way goods trade reached 6.99 trillion yuan (about $963 billion) in 2024, making ASEAN China’s largest trading partner and accounting for 15.9 % of its total commerce, according to Chinese customs data.
Officials did not disclose when the agreed text will be published, but diplomats said leaders are expected to endorse it at an ASEAN summit in late October. The deal would then enter a ratification process within each member state.
Analysts say the upgrade could help cushion regional supply chains against global trade tensions, though some warn that progress on the South China Sea code of conduct is likely to prove harder than finishing the trade text.
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Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on Saturday that its troops had captured two more settlements along the 1,000-km front line in Donetsk region, following the Friday announcement of three other villages taken in its gradual advance.
Azerbaijan and Russia’s foreign ministers held a phone conversation on 23 August, focusing on bilateral cooperation and key regional security issues.
Hundreds of Israeli families and activists rallied outside the military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Saturday, demanding the release of hostages held by Hamas and an end to the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The Trump administration has approved the delivery of 3,350 long-range ERAM missiles to Ukraine, but Pentagon approval is required before they can be deployed, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing U.S. officials.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
Honduras has brought back mask mandates as COVID-19 cases and a new variant surge nationwide.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to be armed, as the Trump administration continues its controversial crime crackdown in the capital.
A fire broke out at a transformer unit of Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, but officials say there is no threat to safety or the nuclear section of the facility, REN TV reported.
State media KCNA reported on Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of new air defence missiles, showcasing their ability to counter aerial threats.
Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on Saturday that its troops had captured two more settlements along the 1,000-km front line in Donetsk region, following the Friday announcement of three other villages taken in its gradual advance.
The Trump administration has approved the delivery of 3,350 long-range ERAM missiles to Ukraine, but Pentagon approval is required before they can be deployed, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing U.S. officials.
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