The country is determined to make reforms necessary to becoming a full participant in a world currently being shaped by mega FTAs. It wants to play a bigger role in international rule-making, but some changes won’t be easy.

The country is confident that it will meet the emerging trade partnership’s high standards through reforms at home. But the U.S. and others may attempt to derail it through the “poison pill” clause of the USMCA.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership consists of all the major and middle Pacific Rim powers, save for one - the U.S. The assertiveness Asian countries are showing is indicative of the ongoing gravity shift in economic and political clout.

The recently signed RCEP is adaptable to the circumstances of its participants and is not “one size fits all.” It’s a major breakthrough in bringing together the 10 ASEAN members and five key players in the region.

The agreement marks the emergence of constructive rules for the entire East Asia region. The parties no longer look to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with its burdensome provisions, as a model template.

It’s true that the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy has brought certain pressures and challenges to China, but these are manageable, given the thinning resources of the United States and the ability of Chinese diplomacy to adapt.

Japan’s Prime Minister hosted a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue that pinpointed the rise of China and the disputes in the South China Sea a focal point.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership was set to become the world’s largest free trade agreement. But India’s withdrawal from it has thrown the negotiated trade bloc into imbalance and has underscored India’s qualms with China’s trade practices.

The ASEAN Summit this year delivered an inclusive and progressive road map for further cooperation. Six macro-level upgrades were presented.

The United States-China trade war will make us all poorer and exacerbate the risks of war.