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.
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Donald Trump said Monday that any country doing business with Iran will face a 25% U.S. tariff on all trade with the United States, with the measure taking effect immediately.
Real Madrid have parted ways with coach Xabi Alonso, appointing former defender Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement.
The UK government will introduce a new criminal offence this week targeting the creation of non-consensual intimate images, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Monday, amid growing concerns over AI-generated deepfakes.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
Real Madrid have parted ways with coach Xabi Alonso, appointing former defender Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement.
Timothée Chalamet won the Golden Globe for best male actor in a musical or comedy on Sunday for his role in Marty Supreme, beating strong competition in one of the night’s most closely watched categories.
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Bob Weir, the rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family has said.
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Finance ministers from the G7 and partner nations met in Washington on Monday to discuss a potential price floor for strategic rare-earth metals and ways to secure their supply. Representatives from Australia, Mexico, South Korea and India also attended the talks.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said allied nations are discussing “next steps” to ensure the security of the Arctic, citing concerns that Russia and China could become more active in the strategically important region.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
Donald Trump said Monday that any country doing business with Iran will face a 25% U.S. tariff on all trade with the United States, with the measure taking effect immediately.
Real Madrid have parted ways with coach Xabi Alonso, appointing former defender Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement.
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