A victory for ASEAN diplomacy after eight years of what Malaysia’s trade minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, called “negotiating with blood, sweat and tears″, RCEP represents the world’s largest plurilateral trade agreement. Yet opinions vary wildly as to the significance of that achievement. Some see RCEP as so unambitious as to be largely symbolic. Others see it as an important building block in a new world order, in which China calls the shots all over Asia. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. What impact will RCEP have and does it mark the beginning of a wider trend towards more intra-regional trade for us all?
Featured TradeExperettes
Stephanie Honey, Trade policy consultant and Former trade negotiator for the New Zealand Government
Dr. Deborah Elms, Executive director, Asian Trade Centre
This event is part of The Economist Events Global Trade Virtual Week.