China and ASEAN took steps to widen trade under a new protocol. The arrangement seeks to expand commerce between China and the 10-member bloc. Amid rising concern, analysts flagged risks over growing Chinese investment, highlighting risks in deeper ties. In Australia, CPA Australia joined a Shenzhen economic exchange ahead of APEC. Singapore-based legal firm Wotton Kearney added a marine disputes team. Vietnam announced a strategic partnership for its industrial fair.

Past analysis contended that mainstream international trade theory fails to account for development. That view points to gaps in the way trade gains are assessed across economies.