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.
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday (26 June) after a court found her guilty of accepting lu...
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near...
Uzbekistan’s use of green energy sources has accounted for more than 45 per cent of its electricity generation as of on 24 June, marking a significa...
At least 235 people have been confirmed dead one day after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped un...
ANEWZ can exclusively report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Azerbaijan on 1 July....
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday (26 June) after a court found her guilty of accepting luxury gifts in return for political favours.
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near Oman, with two U.S. officials accusing Iran of the attack.
At least 235 people have been confirmed dead one day after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped under rubble and tens of thousands are unaccounted for, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
ANEWZ can exclusively report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Azerbaijan on 1 July.
Russia has called for clarification on whether U.S. President Donald Trump has changed his position on the war in Ukraine following remarks made at the recent G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday (26 June) after a court found her guilty of accepting luxury gifts in return for political favours.
At least 235 people have been confirmed dead one day after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped under rubble and tens of thousands are unaccounted for, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Power was fully or partly cut across the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region early on Friday (26 June), according to the Moscow-installed governor Vladimir Saldo.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has warned Ukraine not to try to draw his country into the war, saying any such move would change the conflict "instantly".
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