Current set IAS · 2018 Q34

Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked

Loading…

Q34 (IAS/2018) International Relations & Global Affairs › International Organisations & Groupings › International trade regimes Official Key

Consider the following countries : 1. Australia 2. Canada 3. China 4. India 5. Japan 6. USA Which of the above are among the 'free-trade partners' of ASEAN ?

Result

Your answer: — · Correct: C

Explanation

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has free trade agreements with six partners namely China (ACFTA), Republic of Korea (AKFTA), Japan (AJCEP), India (AIFTA) as well as Australia and New Zealand (AANZFTA).[1] This clearly establishes that ASEAN has FTAs with Australia, China, India, and Japan. The ASEAN-India FTA came into effect in 2010.[2]

From the given options, the countries that are free-trade partners of ASEAN are:
1. **Australia** - Yes (AANZFTA)
2. **Canada** - Not mentioned as an FTA partner
3. **China** - Yes (ACFTA)
4. **India** - Yes (AIFTA)
5. **Japan** - Yes (AJCEP)
6. **USA** - Not mentioned as having an FTA with ASEAN

Therefore, countries 1, 3, 4, and 5 (Australia, China, India, and Japan) are the free-trade partners of ASEAN, making option C the correct answer.

Sources

[1] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 13: International Organizations > Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) > p. 394
[2] Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Contemporary Centres of Power > 22 Contemporary World Politics > p. 22

How others answered

Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.

Community Performance

Out of everyone who attempted this question.

50%

got it right

PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN

Guest preview

Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.

Q. Consider the following countries : 1. Australia 2. Canada 3. China 4. India 5. Japan 6. USA Which of the above are among the 'free-trade …

At a glance

Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 6.7/10 · 1.7/10

You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This question was a direct derivative of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) negotiations dominating headlines in 2018. RCEP was defined as 'ASEAN + 6 FTA Partners'. If you knew the RCEP participants, you automatically knew ASEAN's FTA partners. It separates 'Dialogue Partners' (like US/Canada) from 'FTA Partners'.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1: Does ASEAN have a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia?
Statement 2: Does ASEAN have a free trade agreement (FTA) with Canada?
Statement 3: Does ASEAN have a free trade agreement (FTA) with China?
Statement 4: Does ASEAN have a free trade agreement (FTA) with India?
Statement 5: Does ASEAN have a free trade agreement (FTA) with Japan?
Statement 6: Does ASEAN have a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States?

Statement 1

Does ASEAN have a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia?

Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable

From standard books

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 13: International Organizations > Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) > p. 394

Presence: 5/5

“Countries in East Asia region have thriving trade and economic relations with each other through free trade agreements. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has free trade agreements with six partners namely China (ACFTA), Republic of Korea (AKFTA), Japan (AJCEP), India (AIFTA) as well as Australia and New Zealand (AANZFTA). In order to broaden and deepen the engagement among parties and to enhance parties' participation in economic development of the region, the leaders of 16 participating countries established the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP was built upon the existing ASEAN+1 FTAs with the spirit to strengthen economic linkages and to enhance trade and investment related activities as well as to contribute to minimising development gap among the parties.”

Why this source?

Directly names ASEAN’s FTAs and explicitly lists Australia and New Zealand as partners (AANZFTA).
Places AANZFTA alongside other ASEAN+1 FTAs, showing it is an established ASEAN FTA.

Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Contemporary Centres of Power > Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) > p. 21

Presence: 3/5

“While the ASEAN region as a whole is a much smaller economy compared to the US, the EU, and Japan, its economy is growing much faster than all these. This accounts for the growth in its influence both in the region and beyond. The objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community are to create a common market and production base within ASEAN states and to aid social and economic development in the region. The Economic Community would also like to improve the existing ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanism to resolve economic disputes. ASEAN has focused on creating a Free Trade Area (FTA) for investment, labour, and services.”

Why this source?

States ASEAN’s policy focus on creating a Free Trade Area, providing institutional context for such FTAs.
Supports interpretation that ASEAN engages in FTAs with external partners as part of its economic community aims.

Statement analysis