ISDS Case Map
ASEAN
Thailand's Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has advised farmers to study the impacts of the China-ASEAN free trade area (FTA) and find ways to handle them.
Leaders from China and the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations will open a summit on the Chinese city of Nanning as both sides prepare the groundwork for a free trade agreement that would encompass at least one-third of the world's population.
As a bilateral agreement between Japan and Philippines on free trade has been submitted for close scrutiny by Congress over alleged provisions that would allow the dumping of toxic wastes in the country, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila is now negotiating in behalf of the entire Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for a similar trade liberalization deal.
India and ASEAN will make another attempt next month to break the deadlock in talks for a Free Trade Agreement, which if clinched would come into force in 2007.
South Korea plans to introduce special safeguard measures to protect local companies from import surges that may occur once its free trade pact with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) goes into effect, the government said Monday.
India and ASEAN have complementary expectations from the FTA under negotiation. While ASEAN stands to gain most in goods liberalisation, India's interests clearly lie in services.
In an interesting reversal of roles in the on-going India-Asean free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, India has expressed dissatisfaction with Asean's negative list of items (products to be excluded from duty reduction commitments) and has asked for amendments in order to enhance market access for Indian products.
Malaysia and the European Union agreed Monday to launch negotiations for a broad cooperation pact that could lead to an eventual free trade agreement, a top EU official said.
India and ASEAN will resume negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement next week in a bid to conclude talks by the end of this year.
The dialogue between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China began in 1991. Few would have then predicted the regional financial crisis or China's becoming an economic powerhouse in the world within a short decade. Fewer would have imagined the blossoming relationship between Asean and China which now spans the strategic, political, security, economic, financial and socio-cultural spectrum.
