Bloc 'primed to expand' as community

Premier Li Keqiang was invited to witness ASEAN member state leaders sign the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Sunday, a document announcing the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community on Dec 31, a development that has been eight years in the making.

The Economic Community is designed to make the 10 ASEAN member states a single market and production base with freer movement of goods and services, as well as one opening up a market with a population of 630 million in the region.

It will be one of the bloc's three supporting pillars, together with the ASEAN Political and Security Community and Socio-Cultural Community.