August 1, 2023
The free trade agreement has its roots in the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership, developed in part to counter China’s growing economic dominance.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) shakes hands with Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee Wang Yi during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Jakarta on July 13, 2023. PHOTO: AFP/THE JAKARTA POST