VIENTIANE – Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Thursday in his opening remarks at the 27th China-ASEAN Summit that he is happy to announce with leaders of the ASEAN countries that the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations have achieved substantial conclusion.

Li said this in his opening remarks while addressing the 27th China-ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

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The market has become the scarcest resource in the current economic development, he said, adding that market resources are the most prominent advantage of China and ASEAN amid rising global uncertainties and instability.

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The premier also said the global economic recovery remains lackluster, and problems such as insufficient global aggregate demand are becoming more prominent.

The markets of China and ASEAN are still expanding, and increasing their opening up, the premier added, he added.