China and the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations signed an upgrade to their free trade agreement on Tuesday, with leaders hailing the deal which spans the digital and green economy, and other new industries.

China has signed an expanded free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Premier Li Qiang has promoted economic ties with Beijing as an alternative to U.S. protectionist policies.

Beijing is hoping to use an expanded free trade deal to portray itself as the bloc’s alternative to the United States.

The announcement came after China’s Premier Li Qiang called on his Asian counterparts to “uphold free trade and the multilateral trading system.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke on Friday with counterparts from China and India, beginning a series of face-to-face meetings at an ASEAN defence summit in Malaysia, as Washington seeks to boost regional security ties.

The free trade area covers a combined market of more than 2 billion people, lowers tariffs on goods, and boosts flows of services and investment.View on euronews

ASEAN and China have signed an upgrade to their free trade agreement, strengthening regional economic cooperation and modernizing the bloc’s trade framework with its largest trading partner.

China pressed on Monday for open trade and stronger economic ties at a regional summit in Malaysia dominated by the shadow of steep U.S. tariffs, as Canada's premier expressed readiness to meet U.S. President Donald Trump to defuse trade tensions.

Beyond trade, cooperation between ASEAN and China can also be stepped up in areas such as connectivity and the green economy, says Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

The US has condemned China’s claim over Scarborough Shoal, urging ASEAN nations to stand firm against Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. Read here