Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

Public health groups slam RCEP and call for positive health policies

29 November 2018: The RCEP trade deal currently being negotiated between 16 countries including India, China, Japan, South Korea,  Australia, New Zealand and the ten ASEAN south East Asian countries, covers half of the world’s population.

Delegates from public health and other community groups from RCEP countries met last week at the 4th Global People's Health Assembly in Bangladesh and produced a critical statement on the possible impacts of the RCEP on public health. 

India to study impacts of RCEP trade deal

28 November 2018: Strong resistance to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) from both civil society and domestic industry in India has caused their Government to commission a study on potential gains or losses to its economy from the “free” trade deal, writes Banikinkar Pattanayak. Comprehensive studies are not frequently conducted before or after countries sign such trade agreements, so the move is welcomed by many.

RCEP giant trade deal talks to continue in 2019 as civil society resistance grows

15 November 2018: RCEP Ministers from 16 countries meeting in Singapore have confirmed in a statement that they will miss the deadline of finishing the agreement in 2018, and that talks will continue in 2019. The statement says that seven of twenty chapters of the agreement have been completed. 

The Regional comprehensive Economic Partnership talks between China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10 ASEAN countries, covering half the world’s population, began in 2012 and have missed many deadlines.

RCEP Ministers’ statement: no detail and differing views about likely deal by year’s end

September 4, 2018:  The public statement of RCEP Ministers from 16 countries following their meeting last week welcomed plans to achieve a package of certain targets in the negotiations by the end of 2018, but gave no details about what those targets were.

This is consistent with the secrecy and lack of accountability of these negotiations. The only hints of the issues were in media reports.

RCEP talks make small progress in Bangkok, while resistance grows

July 31, 2018: The twenty-third round of the 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership talks over 10 days in Bangkok managed to resolve two more chapters, one on customs procedures and trade facilitation and one on government procurement. This means only four out of twenty chapters have be agreed, but there is still pressure to complete the deal by the end of the year.

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