RCEP facing a critical deadline

Given global economic and political developments, and with the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in abeyance, the Asean-led RCEP can be the tailwind needed to counter the rising protectionism that increasingly blocks integration and the benefits of free movement of people, goods and services writes Rebecca Sta Maria(filepic), the former secretary general of the International Trade and Industry Ministry. She is now a senior policy fellow at ERIA..

ASEAN is well on its way to becoming a global leader for regional integration and an important step in this process is on deadline.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations, which were to have been substantially concluded at the end of 2015, will now enter the 18th round in May.