Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Chile and Bangladesh are seeking to join the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECEP), the world's largest trade bloc, Southeast Asian officials said on Thursday (25 September).
The RCEP currently consists of China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and all ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
RCEP officials, who are meeting on the sidelines of a gathering of ASEAN trade and economic ministers in Malaysia this week, said they had few objections to accepting new applicants and will work towards bringing the four economies into the bloc.
"We are of course in support of any countries that are willing to join the RCEP," Indonesia's Vice Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia's trade minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said any decision on new RCEP members will be discussed when the bloc's leaders meet for the first time in five years in October.
Some analysts have described the RCEP as a potential buffer against tariffs imposed by the United States, though its provisions are considered weaker than some other regional trade deals due to competing interests among its members.
Senior officials and media leaders from Turkic states have met in Ankara to strengthen cooperation against disinformation and deepen coordination in t...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 21st of December, covering the latest developments you need to...
At least 10 people have been killed and 10 wounded after gunmen opened fire at a bar in a township west of Johannesburg, police said on Sunday, in the...
Japan and five Central Asian nations have unveiled a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening critical minerals supply chains and fostering broader...
The United States has proposed a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which could include American and European representa...
Senior officials and media leaders from Turkic states have met in Ankara to strengthen cooperation against disinformation and deepen coordination in the information sphere.
Japan and five Central Asian nations have unveiled a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening critical minerals supply chains and fostering broader regional cooperation, following their first summit in Tokyo on Saturday.
The United States has proposed a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which could include American and European representatives, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, December 20.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Baghdad on Saturday evening for an official visit, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry confirmed.
The death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has risen to 161, after forensic analysis confirmed one more victim among the charred remains at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, more than three weeks after the blaze began, authorities said on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump on 29 December in Florida, where he is expected to present a package of military options regarding Iran, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported on Saturday.
The United States has suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery programme, commonly known as the Green Card lottery, after a deadly shooting at Brown University.
US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to seek full control of Ukraine and to expand Russia’s influence in parts of Europe formerly under Soviet rule, contradicting repeated claims that Moscow poses no threat to the continent.
The United States has proposed a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which could include American and European representatives, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, December 20.
Senior officials and media leaders from Turkic states have met in Ankara to strengthen cooperation against disinformation and deepen coordination in the information sphere.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 21st of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least 10 people have been killed and 10 wounded after gunmen opened fire at a bar in a township west of Johannesburg, police said on Sunday, in the second mass shooting in South Africa this month.
Japan and five Central Asian nations have unveiled a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening critical minerals supply chains and fostering broader regional cooperation, following their first summit in Tokyo on Saturday.
The United States has proposed a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which could include American and European representatives, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, December 20.
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