Manila

The fifth ministerial meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was held on September 21 in Manila, Philippines. Participants reaffirmed commitment to a rules-based trade framework, agreed to strengthen implementation, and welcomed working groups for new members including Bangladesh, Chile, Hong Kong (China), and Sri Lanka. Ministers decided to draft a Joint Scoping Document for RCEP upgrades, aiming to launch the upgrade process at the 2027 RCEP ministerial meeting. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong called for upholding multilateralism and accelerating expansion amid rising protectionism.

9 reports · 7 sources · Updated Sep 22, 04:11 PM UTC

The 25th China-ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting was held on September 21 in Manila, Philippines, co-chaired by Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong and Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Maria Cristina Roque. Participants discussed global and regional economic trends, free trade area development, and reached broad consensus. China pledged to bring "China Opportunity 2.0" to ASEAN and expand cooperation in digital economy and green trade. ASEAN noted China has been its largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years and welcomed progress on ratifying the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (Version 3.0) protocol.

5 reports · 4 sources · Updated Sep 22, 04:00 PM UTC