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?

Correct Answer: The correct option is 1, 3, 4 and 5 (Australia, China, India, and Japan).

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Understanding ASEAN and its Free Trade Partners:
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has entered into several Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with non-ASEAN member countries to strengthen regional trade and economic integration.

2. Analyzing the Free Trade Agreement Partners:
ASEAN has individual FTAs with five key external countries/regions (often referred to as ASEAN+1 FTAs):
1. Australia (and New Zealand via the AANZFTA)
2. China (ACFTA)
3. India (AIFTA)
4. Japan (AJCEP)
5. South Korea (AKFTA)

3. Evaluating the Given Options:
Let's check each country listed in the prompt:
• 1. Australia: Yes, ASEAN has an FTA with Australia (AANZFTA).
• 2. Canada: No, Canada is a dialogue partner but does not have an active ASEAN FTA in this group.
• 3. China: Yes, ASEAN has an FTA with China (ACFTA).
• 4. India: Yes, ASEAN has an FTA with India (AIFTA).
• 5. Japan: Yes, ASEAN has an FTA with Japan (AJCEP).
• 6. USA: No, the USA is a strategic partner but not an ASEAN Free Trade Partner.

Conclusion:
The countries among the list that are free-trade partners of ASEAN are 1 (Australia), 3 (China), 4 (India), and 5 (Japan).