ASEAN and China have formalised ACFTA 3.0, extending their trade agreement into new domains such as digital and green economies. This deepens bilateral ties: China has been ASEAN’s top trade partner for 16 years, and in 2024 their trade reached US$982.3 billion.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and People’s Republic of China have signed an updated version of the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA 3.0) during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
This new agreement builds upon the original deal signed in 2002 and updated in 2015; negotiations began in November 2022 and concluded in May 2025.
ACFTA 3.0 covers nine key areas, including digital economy, green economy, supply-chain connectivity, consumer protection, competition, and support for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises—alongside traditional trade-facilitation measures.
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