VIENTIANE (Xinhua): Leaders of China and Asean countries announced here the substantial conclusion of the Version 3.0 China-Asean Free Trade Area (FTA) upgrade negotiations, paving the way for one of the world's most populous and robust FTAs to play a bigger role in boosting regional development amid rising global protectionism.
The announcement was made at the 27th China-AseanSummit, part of a series of leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation starting Wednesday, including the 27th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit.
