News Analysis

With RCEP, East Asia takes big leap of faith

Country representatives signing the new RCEP trade pact on screen, during the Asean Summit on Nov 15, 2020. PHOTO: AFP
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SINGAPORE - And so, Asean has got it done, finally.

By the standards of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership with which the RCEP will inevitably be compared, the agreement inked on Sunday (Nov 15) between Asean and five of its key trading partners - China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand - may look less ambitious.

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