RCEP推动经济复苏和多边主义｜RCEP set to boost recovery, multilateralism

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is set to accelerate regional economic integration, inject more growth impetus into the world's economic recovery andshore up multilateralismand free trade, experts said on Sunday.

1月23日，专家表示《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（RCEP）将加速区域经济一体化，为世界经济复苏注入动力，支持维护多边主义和自由贸易。

They made the remarks at the RCEP Media & Think Tank Roundtable Forum with the theme of "The RCEP comes into effect: New prospects for regional cooperation and development".

在RCEP区域发展媒体智库圆桌论坛上，专家学者围绕“RCEP生效：展望区域合作与发展新前景”的主题讨论交流。

The forum was jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee, China Daily, the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development and the Hainan Institute for Free Trade Port Studies.

该论坛由中共海南省委宣传部、中国日报社、中国（海南）改革发展研究院、中国特色自由贸易港研究院主办。

The agreement came into force on Jan 1 in 10 of the 15 RCEP member states. The world's biggest trade pact, it covers one third of the global population and domestic gross product and will add more resilience to regional industrial and supply chains, the experts said.

2022年1月1日，《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP)正式生效。RCEP现有的15个成员国中，有10国正式开始实施协定。专家表示，作为世界上最大的自贸区，RCEP覆盖了全球三分之一的人口数量和经济体量，将提升区域产业链供应链韧性。

▲An aerial view of the container dock of the Qinzhou Port section of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone in Qinzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Photo/Xinhua

中国（广西）自由贸易试验区钦州港片区的集装箱码头，位于中国南部广西壮族自治区钦州。无人机照片新华社摄

While speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said a unified regional market willunleashthe huge potential of trade growth in the region. It will also vigorously promote regional economic integration of a higher quality and at a deeper level, and strengthen the presence of the Asia-Pacific region in the global economic and trade arena, he added.

中国日报社总编辑周树春在开幕式致辞中指出，区域统一大市场的运转将释放区域内巨大的贸易增长潜力，必将有力推动地区实现更高质量、更深层次的区域经济一体化，在世界经贸版图中形成更为强劲的“亚太力量”。

The trade pact's implementation is a testimony to truemultilateralismand free trade, which also indicates a future of mutually beneficial cooperation with opening-up practices and win-win outcomes, Zhou said.

周树春表示，RCEP的生效实施有力证明真正的多边主义和自由贸易是历史大势，昭示着互利合作、开放共赢的未来。

"Removing wall-like barriers instead of building more is the trend of history, and it is in line with interests ofpeople in the world to firmly support a multilateral trading system," he said.

他表示：“‘拆墙’而不是‘筑墙’才是历史大势，坚定维护多边贸易体制才符合世界人民的利益。”

The free trade agreement was signed by 15 Asia-Pacific countries, including all 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in November 2020. It came into effect in China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and six ASEAN states－Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam－at the start of the year and will be implemented in South Korea on Feb 1.

2020年11月，包括东盟十国在内的15个亚太国家签署了《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP)。目前，该协议已在文莱、柬埔寨、老挝、新加坡、泰国、越南等6个东盟成员国和中国、日本、新西兰、澳大利亚等4个非东盟成员国生效，2022年2月1日起将在韩国开始生效。

With provisions on liberalization and facilitation in both trade and investment, it is widely expected the pact willprovidean all-around boost to regional economic growth and global free trade.

RCEP的生效实施提高了地区贸易投资自由化和便利化，促进区域经济及全球自由贸易增长。

Hong Nanwei, general manager of Fujian Chuangxing Ocean Sci-Tech Co, a frozen seafood processor and exporter in Quanzhou, Fujian province,saidthanks to reductions and removals oftariffsin the pact, the company is more confident of better growth in overseas markets.

福建省创兴海洋科技有限公司是一家位于福建省泉州的海鲜冷冻加工和出口商。该公司总经理洪楠威表示，RCEP协议中进口国关税的削减和减免，使得公司更有信心扩展海外市场。

Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute for Reform and Development, said tariffs on about 90 percent of goods traded within the region will eventually be eliminated and significantly reduce trade costs and product prices.

中国（海南）改革发展研究院院长迟福林表示，RCEP生效后，区域内90%的货物贸易最终实现零关税，由此将大幅降低区域内贸易成本与产品价格。

The cumulative rules of origin, which allow products to have just 40 percent of their value added within the region to enjoy tariff reduction or elimination, will encourage enterprises to source from the region. That will then promote the formation of a closer, more stable and more competitive regional industrial cooperation system, according to Chi, who is also president of the Hainan Institute for Free Trade Port Studies.

RCEP中的“原产地累积规则”规定只要产品在加工过程中实现的增值部分属于15个成员国，且累计增值超过40%，即可享受相应关税优惠。作为中国特色自由贸易港研究院院长，迟福林表示，这一规则有利于激励企业采购区域内产，推动形成密切、稳定和有竞争力的区域产业链分工合作体系。

▲A worker checks engines at a Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Group Co Ltd facility in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, in September. Yuchai has exported more than 260,000 engines to ASEAN nations by the end of 2021. Photo provided to China Daily

9月，在广西玉柴机械集团有限公司位于广西壮族自治区玉林的工厂里，一名工人正在检查发动机。截至2021年底，玉柴向东盟国家出口了26万多台发动机。中国日报摄

Chen Geng, chairman of Fashion Flying Group, a large-scale outdoor garment manufacturer based in Fuzhou, Fujian province, said the RCEP agreement will help the company tap the potential of Southeast Asian markets.

福建省尚飞制衣有限公司总部位于福建省福州市，是一家大型户外服装制造商。该公司总经理陈耿表示，RCEP协议将帮助尚飞挖掘东南亚市场。

Citing a study by the Asian Development Bank, Bert Hofman, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, said the pact will increase member economies' income by over half a percent by 2030, adding some $245 billion in annual income and 2.8 million jobs in regional employment.

新加坡国立大学东亚研究所所长郝福满（Bert Hofman）引用亚洲开发银行的一项研究表示，到2030年，RCEP将使成员经济体的收入增加0.6%，同时为该区域带来2,450亿美元的经济增长并创造280万个就业岗位。

"It is important for mankind to work together and to benefit from globalization and to benefit from high standards in trade," Hofman said.

郝福满表示：“重要的是，人类要共同努力，从全球化和高标准的贸易中受益。”

Chi suggested member economies strengthen efforts to acceleratealignmentof market regulations and share and recognize customs clearance information to accelerate the formation of a united regional market. Efforts are also needed to advance the construction of integrated markets in key areas such as agricultural products, services and the digital economy, he said.

迟福林建议，各成员国应推动实现区域内市场监管与海关部门信息共享、多边互认，推动形成区域一体化大市场，推进农产品、服务业、数字经济等重点领域的共同市场建设。

Ong Tee Keat, president of the Center for New Inclusive Asia in Malaysia,and also Malaysia's former minister of transport, said the regional free trade deal can serve as a building block for multilateralism in the future.

马来西亚新亚洲战略研究中心主席、前交通部长翁诗杰（Ong Tee Keat）表示，RCEP协议会成为未来多边主义的基石。

shore up

英 [ʃɔ: ʌp]；美 [ʃɔr ʌp]

支撑；支持；加强

unleash

英 [ʌnˈliːʃ]；美 [ʌnˈliːʃ]

vt. 解开…的皮带;放纵;解除…的束缚;发泄

tariff

英[ˈtærɪf]；美[ˈtærɪf]

n.关税表;关税;价格表

alignment

英 [əˈlaɪnmənt]；美 [əˈlaɪnmənt]

n. 调准，校正;结盟，联合

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RCEP推动经济复苏和多边主义｜RCEP set to boost recovery, multilateralism