The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) has been in force for more than a year, and its dividends in promoting regional trade and investment growth and economic recovery have been continuously released. At the 2023 RCEP Regional Development Media Think Tank Forum held in Haikou on the 21st, scholars from many countries called on member states to speed up opening up, actively promote the RCEP process, and inject more "positive energy" into the recovery of the Asian and global economies.
At present, the global geopolitical tensions and the evolution of the economic structure pose challenges to the economic recovery and growth of the Asian region. "RCEP is a powerful counterattack against the current resurgence of trade protectionism." Yi Xiaozhun, former deputy director-general of the WTO and former vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce of China, said that in the face of crisis, RCEP members should hold together to keep warm and rely on regional economic integration to improve their respective Economic resilience and resilience to risks.
"RCEP is an inclusive free trade agreement, which aims to share the dividends of economic development and promote the common prosperity of the entire region." Ong Shijie, chairman of Malaysia's New Asia Strategic Research Center, said that at the beginning of RCEP's entry into force, the signatories should promote local The public's awareness of RCEP should absorb more opinions from non-governmental organizations and enterprises.
Hoffman Hofman, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, said frankly that at a time when external geopolitical challenges are intensifying, cooperation among RCEP member states is beneficial. He called on all countries to optimize the value chain of the RCEP regional industrial chain and supply chain in a high-level opening up, and introduce and add more rules on labor, environmental protection, and data exchange.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a high-standard free trade agreement in the world today. Chi Fulin, president of the China (Hainan) Reform and Development Research Institute, proposed that the strategic integration of RCEP and CPTPP should be promoted in due course. Use the RCEP consultation mechanism to actively carry out the docking of e-commerce, intellectual property protection, competition policy and other rules with CPTPP.
Experts mentioned that the role of Hainan Free Trade Port in RCEP should be further strengthened. Wang Bin, member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, said at the meeting that Hainan will actively explore and release the policy dividends of the Hainan Free Trade Port, superimposed with the RCEP policy, and first try CPTPP, "Digital Economic Partnership Agreement" (DEPA) and other international High-level economic and trade rules, explore reform and innovation in fields such as land, low-carbon, and service industry opening, accelerate the pace of convergence in rules, regulations, management, and standards, and actively integrate into the international high-standard free trade zone network.