China Expands Trade Pact With Asian Economies Courted by Trump
Tengku Zafrul, Malaysia’s minister of investment, trade and industry, second right, and Wang Wentao, China’s commerce minister, second left, during a signing ceremony for the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) 3.0 in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 28.
Photographer: Syaiful Redzuan/Anadolu/Getty Images
China expanded its free trade pact with a group of Southeast Asian nations, deepening its economic ties with a region that President Donald Trump sought to court with a flurry of trade deals.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday oversaw the signing of an agreement in Kuala Lumpur to expand the China-Asean Free Trade Area. The protocol includes vows to lower trade barriers and facilitate the green economy, which may help Beijing boost exports and offset the impact of US tariffs.