China-ASEAN negotiations enter next round

The first round of consultations on the 3.0 version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area negotiations was launched between China and the bloc on Tuesday, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

Officials from China and member economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the ASEAN's Secretariat attended the meeting via video link, the ministry said in an online statement.

The two sides held in-depth discussions on topics such as procedural rules, organizational arrangements and work plans for the negotiations, and set a timetable and roadmap for subsequent talks.

China and ASEAN jointly announced the official launch of negotiations on the 3.0 version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area in November 2022. Both sides agreed the talks will cover areas such as goods trade, investment, digital economy and green economy to create a more inclusive, modern, comprehensive and mutually beneficial China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.