ASEAN summit started in Thai capital Bangkok | News Asia | DW
The export-oriented economies of the ASEAN countries want to finalize the negotiations because they fear the negative effects of the trade dispute between China and the US. All ten member states want to participate: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as well as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The agreement, the Comprehensive Regional Economic Partnership (RCEP), is crucial for increasing trade, said Thai government spokesman Werachon Sukhondhapatipak. Philippine government spokesman Martin M. Andanar said the deal needed to be implemented as soon as possible. "Free trade is definitely what we need in this region."
The agreement was originally intended as a counterweight to the TPP Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement, which the US had withdrawn shortly after President Donald Trump took office. The negotiations on RCEP were recently stalled. India fears being flooded with cheap products from China, Australia and New Zealand are insisting on environmental and occupational safety standards.
No shortage of topics to talk about
Other topics of the two-day meeting include the dispute over islands in the South China Sea, the persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar and plastic waste in the sea.
In the Rohingya crisis, ASEAN countries have held back criticism of Myanmar's government. However, on Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad put pressure: "We hope something can be done to end the repression," he said. Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah called for justice and citizenship for the Rohingyas in Myanmar. Myanmar's de facto Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi will also attend the ASEAN summit. Their opinion is eagerly awaited.
Myanmar's de facto Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and the Indonesian President Joko Widodo
The garbage problem should be announced with the so-called Bangkok Declaration of the ASEAN states of the fight. According to a draft that the news agency AFP was able to see on Saturday, the signatories want to commit themselves to "avoiding and significantly reducing the pollution of the oceans" in the future.
Bigger than the EU
With 625 million inhabitants – more than half under 30 – the community today is bigger than the European Union. However, ASEAN is not an EU-type association. There are neither common laws nor a single currency, but since the end of 2015 a common internal market. Main objectives of the organization based in Jakarta: economic development, peace and stability.
hhf / kle (afp, rtr, dpa)
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