迟福林：RCEP处在“不进则退”关节点 破解关键是扩容

Core Viewpoint - The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is at a critical juncture where expansion is essential to avoid stagnation, and enhancing rule standards and utilization is necessary for its effectiveness [1][3]. Group 1: Current Status of RCEP - RCEP is the largest and most potential-rich free trade area globally, officially implemented on January 1, 2022, but has not yet expanded [1][3]. - The current organizational mechanism of RCEP is not well-established, and it has not achieved any expansion since its signing [3]. Group 2: Comparison with CPTPP - RCEP member economies account for approximately 27.5% of global economic output, which is about double that of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) at 14.5% [3]. - If all interested economies join RCEP and CPTPP, the gap in economic scale between the two agreements will significantly narrow [3]. Group 3: Potential Expansions - Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Chile have applied to join RCEP, with Hong Kong's inclusion expected to enhance RCEP's international influence significantly [4]. - Chile's potential membership would mark a historic shift, transforming RCEP from a regional to a cross-regional trade arrangement [4]. - Combining RCEP with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could greatly increase market size and potential [4]. Group 4: Recommendations for Improvement - To address the low utilization of RCEP rules, it is suggested to benchmark against CPTPP and progressively raise the standards of RCEP rules [4].