Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will next week set up a study group on the conclusion of a free trade agreement in a bid to compete with emerging powerhouse China and growing trade blocs in Europe, as well as both North America and Latin America, government sources said Saturday.

Tokyo and the 10-member ASEAN will formally agree to set up the group of government economic experts in a ministerial-level meeting on Friday in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to be held on the sidelines of a gathering of economic ministers from ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea, the sources said.

The group will compile and submit its proposals to the economic ministers when they next meet in Hanoi this fall, and the ministers will report on the outcome of their discussions of the proposals to the following Japan-ASEAN summit in Brunei, also in fall, the sources said.