China, ASEAN Hold First Round of Free Trade Area Talks

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Feb. 7 kicked off the first round of their negotiations over "Free Trade Area 3.0," an intended enhancement to the existing China-ASEAN free trade area, China's Ministry of Commerce announced, according to an unofficial translation. Both sides discussed procedural rules, organizational arrangements and work plans, laying out a timetable and road map for later talks. The negotiations were previously arranged to cover trade in goods, investment, the digital economy and the green economy.