ASEAN, China to strengthen electronic trading to reduce digital gap in Southeast Asia

JAKARTA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- ASEAN has agreed to boost its electronic trading cooperation with China in an effort to reduce the digital economy gap in the Southeast Asia region, an Indonesian minister said Monday.

The initiative was endorsed during a consultative meeting between ministers of economy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries with the Ministry of Commerce of China on Monday in Semarang, Indonesia's Central Java province.

The meeting was part of the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting held on Aug. 17-22.

China has become the fourth-largest source of foreign investment among ASEAN partners, said Indonesia's Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, highlighting significant economic impacts ASEAN can gain through cooperation with China.

He said the meeting also elaborated on the reports of the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area.