China pushes for closer Southeast Asia trade links as it fends off US pressure

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Vice-President Han Zheng urged China and Southeast Asia to deepen their strategic alignment on Wednesday, as Beijing pushes to upgrade its free trade area agreement with the region amid the US trade war.The world’s second-largest economy aims to “strengthen the alignment of development strategies and tighten the bonds of our shared community” with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Han said in his opening address at the China-Asean Expo in the southwestern Chinese...