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.

China pressed on Monday for open trade and stronger economic ties at a regional summit in Malaysia dominated by the shadow of steep U.S. tariffs, as Canada's premier expressed readiness to meet U.S. President Donald Trump to defuse trade tensions.

Malaysia handed over the chairmanship of Southeast Asia's regional bloc to the Philippines on Tuesday (Oct 28), with territorial disputes in the South China Sea set to

China boosts Asian trade diplomacy at Malaysia summit as US tariffs persist, using RCEP to expand influence amid resource and maritime tensions.

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.

ASEAN (in particular Malaysia) were key part of US Trade diversification from China Trade. Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Australia had key deals for the US