ASEAN to meet China, Japan and South Korea
ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries leaders will next week discuss establishing a powerful East Asia free trade area with Japan, South Korea and China. Ten ASEAN countries have started free trade talks with China and Japan on a bilateral pact basis while negotiations with South Korea are expected to begin next year, as previously reported by SteelOrbis. An East Asia-wide free trade area will broaden these bilateral agreements by putting the thirteen countries in a zone where they would all be able to conduct trade freely each other. The thirteen countries have a total population of nearly two billion people, one-third of the global population.