Kuala Lumpur, July 15 -- ASEAN and China will seek their leaders' approval of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 Agreement in October 2025, following a consensus reached at the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-58) and Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) held last week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ASEAN-China relations: comprehensive and dynamic

ASEAN and China established relations in 1991 and elevated ties to a Strategic Partnership in 2003. In November 2018, both sides adopted the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030.

A milestone was reached in November 2021 when a virtual summit marking 30 years of ties resulted in a Joint Statement establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The partnership is facil...