Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong at a regular press conference Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

China's Ministry of Commerce is accelerating the domestic ratification of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol and is working with ASEAN to promote the Protocol's early entry into force and implementation, He Yadong, a spokesperson for the ministry, said on Thursday. 

"The signing of the Upgrade Protocol of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) 3.0 is an important milestone in the cooperation between the two sides. It marks that the economic integration process between China and ASEAN has expanded from traditional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation to emerging fields such as digitalization, green development, standards, and supply chains," said He.

He's remarks were in response to a question on why the Protocol received high attention from enterprises during the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) and what are the next steps in terms of work arrangements.

"The Upgrade Protocol of CAFTA 3.0 will significantly promote regional digital technology empowerment, green industry cooperation, interconnection of production and supply chains, and alignment of standards and regulations, facilitating the accelerated integration and development of the large market and production supply chain within the region," said He.

The high level of attention shown by enterprises from China and ASEAN at the CIIE is precisely due to the huge business opportunities contained in the Protocol, said the spokesperson.

The protocol was signed on October 28 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ahead of the 28th China-ASEAN Summit, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The upgrade marks the latest stage in the evolution of the CAFTA, which was initiated in 2002 and fully implemented as Version 1.0 in 2010. A subsequent Version 2.0 protocol was signed in 2015 and came into full effect in 2019. Negotiations for the Version 3.0 upgrade began in November 2022 and were successfully concluded in May 2025, said Xinhua.


Global Times