TUJUAN CHINA MENERAPKAN ACFTA (ASEAN-CHINA FREE TRADE AREA) UPGRADING PROTOCOL DI KAWASAN ASIA TENGGARA

The purpose of this article is to examine how China implementing the ACFTA (ASEAN-China free trade area) upgrading protocol in Southeast Asia. China seeks to implement reforms in cooperation agreements to deepen relations with ASEAN countries, and increase ACFTA cooperation to a higher level. This research uses the theory of neoliberalism, the basic assumption of this perspective is an effort to encourage a fair share in relations between countries that can be directly considered interdependent, although neoliberalism is considered unable to regulate the global economy. It focuses on free markets and the principle of free trade, which is believed to arise to tear down barriers to foreign trade and foreign investment so that all countries involved benefit. The implementation of the upgrading protocol is a form of interdependence and an effort to increase China and ASEAN cooperation in free trade. The research method used is descriptive qualitative. The result of this research is that the high potential of the e-commerce market in the Southeast Asian region makes an initiative for China to add e-commerce in the ACFTA upgrading protocol, with the aim of maintaining economic growth in the long term.