On the 8th, a ministerial meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was held in Bangkok, Thailand, with 16 countries including Japan, China and South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participating. After the meeting, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Seiko said that the negotiations on tariffs had made progress, and that the negotiations were coming to a close.
Participating countries expressed their recognition that the unstable environment of both trade and investment continues, and the need to conclude RCEP is increasing. It seems that the trade friction between the United States and China was taken into consideration.
In the last ministerial meeting in Beijing in August, it was clearly stated that it was concluded with rules in three fields such as telecommunications, but this statement did not include such a specific description. Seko explained that he was in the final phase of the negotiations.
If RCEP is established, it will become a vast economic zone that accounts for 50% of the world's population, 30% of the trade value, and 30% of the gross domestic product. Half of the 20 negotiating areas that have been negotiated since 2013 have been concluded. The policy is to hold a negotiator meeting in Vietnam in late September and a summit meeting in November after renewing the ministerial meeting.
At the last ministerial meeting, South Korea criticized Japan's stricter export controls and the Japanese side argued, but Seko said there was no similar remark from Korea this time. (Bangkok = Ryuichi Kanari, Akihiko Kaise)
