The Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN and China on Tuesday signed an upgrade to their free trade agreement, which is expected to include sections on digital, green economy and other new industries.

The original soft power couple from post-war China was a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Qi Qi, sent to the Soviet Union in 1957 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, which led to the establishment of the world’s first Communist state.

With China dominating the global shipbuilding industry, and amid a port-fee dispute with Washington, the US president sees new strategic partnerships as critical.

Mariko Oi will be joined by regular guests from across the region, including South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and China correspondent Laura Bicker

China and Australia on Monday sought to keep ties on an even keel despite tensions over military encounters in the South China Sea and rivalry in the Asia-Pacific region, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing both sides as "friends".

The swing through Malaysia, Japan and South Korea is expected to test President Trump’s skills as a statesman and negotiator.

Trump's Asia summit tour includes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other regional leaders as trade tensions with Beijing escalate.

Chinese and US trade negotiators have lined up an array of diplomatic wins for Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to unveil at a summit this week. Those easy hits are pleasing investors, but leave deeper core conflicts unresolved.