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.

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.

Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun on Friday told his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that China stands ready to work with all parties to safeguard lasting peace and stability in the South China Sea with practical actions, according to China's Ministry of National Defense.

From the main plenary halls to the glitzy trade side meetings, China made its presence felt at the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits.

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.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday told China’s defense minister that the U.S. will “stoutly defend its interests” in the Indo-Pacific region. Hegseth said emphasized “the importance of

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.

Welcome to Foreign Policy ’s Southeast Asia Brief.