In an interview on November 29, Japan's Deputy Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Hideki Makihara indicated that Japan may refrain from signing an India-less Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This ostensibly shocking statement in fact surprised few who are familiar with the history of RCEP and that of East Asian regionalism more generally – Japan has consistently been wary of China-led integration endeavors.
Trade is the life-blood of the world economy. We all know that. The share of global trade grew from around 10% of global GDP to close to 60% by the 2010s. And, those countries which grew their share of the global trade benefited from the huge multiplier effect on their economy. Given this context, India’s decision to withdraw from RCEP, designed to be the world’s largest trading bloc, was a landmark decision, notwithstanding official comments that we will rejoin if our concerns are addressed.
Deputy secretary-general to the prime minister for political affairs Kobsak Pootrakool said that the two countries—through the Hong Kong-Thailand High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC)—have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the study on the potential FTA.
The fourth meeting of the ASEAN-Switzerland Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AS-JSCC) took place at the headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 29.
A forum on science, technology, and innovation (STI) was recently attended by stakeholders from the government, industry, and academe sectors from the 10 ASEAN member states in Davao City, highlighting the successful and prosperous ASEAN-India relations.
An emerging mega trade deal among 15 Asia-Pacific countries will be a "gamechanger" for closer economic integration between China and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez has said.
ASEAN was the fifth-largest economy in the world with a gross domestic product (GDP) of around US$3 trillion last year, according to the latest ASEAN report, a significant increase from the seventh place it had five years ago.
More than 100 Vietnamese enterprises and 15 enterprises from the Republic of Korea (RoK), operating in the fields of software, medical equipment, technology solutions and applications, and construction, had business-to-business (B2B) transactions on October 23 in Hanoi. The event was organized by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in collaboration with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) to support businesses from both countries in investment and trade cooperation.
<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
