The Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN and China on Tuesday signed an upgrade to their free trade agreement, which is expected to include sections on digital, green economy and other new industries.
The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations is China's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling $771 billion last year, according to ASEAN statistics.
China is seeking to intensify its engagement with ASEAN, a region with a collective gross domestic product of $3.8 trillion, to counter hefty import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on countries around the world.
Beijing has been seeking to position itself as a more open economy, despite criticism from other major powers of its expanding export restrictions on rare earths and other critical minerals.
The so-called 3.0 version of the free trade agreement with ASEAN was signed into effect at a summit of the bloc's leaders in Malaysia, which Trump attended on Sunday at the start of his trip through Asia.
Negotiations on the upgraded ASEAN-China deal began in November 2022 and concluded in May this year, just after Trump's tariff offensive kicked into gear.
China has previously said the agreement would pave the way for improved market access in sectors such as agriculture, the digital economy and pharmaceuticals between China and ASEAN.
Nine people were killed and 26 others injured when a passenger bus rolled off a road and plunged into a ravine in southern Türkiye’s Antalya provin...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 2nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to ...
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, g...
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered a...
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting...
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has arrived in China for an official visit, where he is due to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss international and regional security issues, Russian state media reported on Sunday.
Xi Jinping praised China–Algeria co-operation on Saturday following the successful launch of an Algerian remote sensing satellite from northwest China, calling it another milestone in bilateral space ties.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has presented Chinese President Xi Jinping with a football used in Sunday’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United, in a gesture widely interpreted as an exercise in soft diplomacy during talks in Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Britain against doing business with Beijing. His comments came as Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted the economic benefits of resetting relations with China during a visit on Friday (30 January).
The United Nations faces the risk of “imminent financial collapse” because of unpaid contributions, including substantial arrears from the United States, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions continue to shape regional tensions in the Middle East, particularly among key powers such as Israel and Türkiye, according to political analyst Dr Zaur Gasimov.
Melania, the new documentary about the U.S. First Lady Melania Trump that premiered Thursday, is drawing sharply contrasting reactions. Professional critics have slammed the film, giving it a 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, while ordinary viewers have embraced it, with audience ratings currently at 99%.
Nine people were killed and 26 others injured when a passenger bus rolled off a road and plunged into a ravine in southern Türkiye’s Antalya province on Sunday (1 February), local officials said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 2nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, government officials said on Sunday (1 February).
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
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