Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have signed an expanded free trade agreement as both sides face increased protectionism from the United States

The ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations and China on Tuesday signed an upgrade to their free trade agreement, which includes sections on digital, the green economy and other new industries, Beijing's Commerce Ministry said.

Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have signed an expanded free trade agreement as both sides face increased protectionism from the United States.

Chinese and US trade negotiators have lined up an array of diplomatic wins for Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to unveil at a summit this week. Those easy hits are pleasing investors, but leave deeper core conflicts unresolved.

Investors sent major global indexes higher on optimism that President Trump and China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, could reach a wider agreement this week.

China's Sany Heavy Industry traded flat on its Hong Kong trading debut Tuesday after raising HKD$12.36 billion ($1.59 billion) in one of the city's largest listings this year.

The U.S. and China are nearing a trade truce weeks after President Donald Trump threatened Beijing with new 100% tariffs over a mineral trade dispute.

Soybeans and other crops soared as progress in negotiations between the U.S. and China lifted hopes that the world’s two largest economies were edging toward a deal in their protracted trade