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.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks...
China has officially opened the Pinglu Canal, a $10.75 billion waterway giving the country's landlocked southwest a shorter, direct route to th...
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held high-level talks in Seoul aimed at expanding South Korean investment, industrial cooperation and partnershi...
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said on Tuesday. Russia accused Denmark of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near its ship, and said it was investigating the incident.
Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter prohibited airspace over the holy city, as attacks by the Iran-aligned group deepen regional tensions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is outlining the EU's priorities in her annual State of the Union address, covering security, support for Ukraine, trade with China, migration, climate and artificial intelligence.
China has officially opened the Pinglu Canal, a $10.75 billion waterway giving the country's landlocked southwest a shorter, direct route to the sea and Southeast Asian markets.
Pakistan has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at the United Nations, warning that escalating fighting in Yemen and increased activity around the Bab al-Mandab Strait threaten regional stability, global shipping and energy security.
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of war crimes, including murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention.
Wednesday's session of the 24th Arab Media Summit in Dubai has shifted the discussion towards a central question for modern media: how can regional news organisations tell their own stories while reaching audiences far beyond their borders?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was carrying out tests on a new weapon to intercept drones and had recorded a successful hit overnight.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment