Australian minister highlights significance of RCEP amid global trade uncertainty
Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham has recently emphasised the importance of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, which is expected to be signed on November 15 between 10 ASEAN countries and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), New Zealand and Australia.
Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham (Source: The Guardian)
Sydney (VNA) – Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham has recently emphasised theimportance of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement,which is expected to be signed on November 15 between 10 ASEAN countries andChina, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), New Zealand and Australia.
“It's a hugely symbolically significant agreement, coming ata time of global trade uncertainty,” he told local media. “It says in areally powerful and tangible way that our region, which has been the driver ofglobal economic growth, is still committed to the principles of trade, opennessand ambition”.
Birmingham said the RCEP is the world's largest free-trade deal, representing30 percent of global GDP and 30 percent of the world's population. It is thefirst time major trading partners like China, the RoK, Japan and Australia havejoined together in one agreement, reducing the reliance on a patchwork ofbilateral deals.
He added that Australian businesses in the services sectorwill benefit most from the deal, which will recognise qualifications andlicensing practices, while allowing them to operate remotely and set up officesthroughout the RCEP region.
The sector includes education, healthcare, accountants,engineering and legal service providers, and employs four out of fiveAustralians while accounting for up to 70 percent of Australia's GDP.
“It will make it much easier for what is a huge part of Australia's economy, totrade overseas,” Birmingham said. “Given the rise of the middle-income groupsacross many RCEP countries, there is a rising demand for more of those safe,high-quality health, education and other services that Australia is well placedto deliver”.
The deal will also strengthen supply chains with commonrules of origin and establish new e-commerce rules across the region, he added./.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to be signed at the 4th RCEP leaders' online meeting on November 15, with all of its texts and legal review work completed, Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang told a press conference on November 11.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plays a central role in the region’s recovery and the post-COVID-19 regional order, said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison have agreed to step up the two countries’ relationship to a strategic partnership.
The 11th ASEAN-UN Summit and the 4th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit are scheduled to take place via video conference on November 15, the last working day of the 37th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham (Source: The Guardian) 
