In the context of the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held in Malaysia, the Chinese government is expanding the Free Trade Agreement in response to the rise in protectionism from the United States. During the final day of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and the regional bloc's chair, Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim, oversaw the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol. The pact establishes a combined market of over two billion people, in addition to reducing tariffs on goods and increasing the flow of services and investments. The deepening of the trade conflict between China and the United States risks weakening global economic growth, while awaiting the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in South Korea on Thursday.
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