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.
Nine people were killed and 26 others injured when a passenger bus rolled off a road and plunged into a ravine in southern Türkiye’s Antalya provin...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 2nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to ...
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, g...
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered a...
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting...
Nine people were killed and 26 others injured when a passenger bus rolled off a road and plunged into a ravine in southern Türkiye’s Antalya province on Sunday (1 February), local officials said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 2nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, government officials said on Sunday (1 February).
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
The United Nations faces the risk of “imminent financial collapse” because of unpaid contributions, including substantial arrears from the United States, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions continue to shape regional tensions in the Middle East, particularly among key powers such as Israel and Türkiye, according to political analyst Dr Zaur Gasimov.
Melania, the new documentary about the U.S. First Lady Melania Trump that premiered Thursday, is drawing sharply contrasting reactions. Professional critics have slammed the film, giving it a 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, while ordinary viewers have embraced it, with audience ratings currently at 99%.
Nine people were killed and 26 others injured when a passenger bus rolled off a road and plunged into a ravine in southern Türkiye’s Antalya province on Sunday (1 February), local officials said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 2nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least 12 people were killed and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, government officials said on Sunday (1 February).
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
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