http://www.bjreview.com AUGUST 15, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 23
WORLD
Safeguarding multilateralism
Stressing that the global economy is at an
important crossroads, with an increasing
number of uncertainties and challenges,
the 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
reiterated member countries’ resolve to
safeguard free trade and multilateralism.
Thailand warned ASEAN members to be
“more agile” as nationalism rises worldwide.
“We must recognize that looking inward and
being myopic is not an option and never will
be,” Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai
said at the opening of the meeting on July 29.
“Amid great turmoil, we must be more out-
ward and forward looking than ever before.”
He warned that the road ahead “could be
treacherous,” but that greater cooperation
among ASEAN members and outside part-
ners could help sustain long-term growth.
In addition, ASEAN foreign ministers
reiterated their commitment to conclud-
ing the Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) negotiations this year.
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meeting, members “encouraged the RCEP
ministers and officials to redouble their ef-
forts to reach this target, guided by the RCEP
Work Plan 2019, which was endorsed by the
ministers at the intersessional meeting in
Siem Reap (Cambodia) in March 2019.”
As a free trade agreement (FTA) pro-
posed by ASEAN with its six FTA partners—
China, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea
(ROK), Australia and New Zealand—negotia-
tions for the RCEP began in 2012, but have
yet to be concluded due to various reasons.
“Countries differ from each other in eco-
nomic development and the scale of their
economy, therefore they have very different
pursuits, which are difficult to accommo-
date,” Song explained.
For example, India’s conservative position
on protecting its internal markets has greatly
affected the whole RCEP process. As a result,
countries participating in RCEP negotiations
agreed to make greater tax cuts on trade
in goods, hoping India would slash taxes on
92 percent of imported goods. But India
only agreed to slash taxes on 85 percent of
imported goods from China, Australia, New
Zealand and some other countries which it
hasn’t signed separate FTAs with, according
to Zhu Ying, a professor on world economy
from Shanghai Normal University.
China has always supported an early con-
clusion to RCEP negotiations, which will lead
to one of the world’s largest trading blocs,
representing 45 percent of the global popu-
lation, 40 percent of the world’s trade and
about one third of the global GDP. Chinese
leaders reiterated that China will not pursueCopyedited by Rebeca Toledo
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ports from related countries.
Since 2017, RCEP negotiations have
sped up. And 95 percent of the work has
been completed, which provided the pos-
sibility for conclusion by the end of 2019.
“Although foreign ministers hope to con-
clude the negotiations by the end of the
year, whether it can be achieved still hinges
on the efforts of related countries. And the
recent trade quarrel between Japan and the
ROK has added uncertainty to its prospects,”
Song said.South China Sea
“We... were encouraged by the progress of
the substantive negotiations toward an early
conclusion of an effective and substantive
South China Sea COC within a mutually
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COC Negotiating Text this year.”
The South China Sea has long been an
important topic at ASEAN foreign ministers’
meetings, but this year, it was a spotlight of
cooperation rather than of hot debate. China
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ing of the Single Draft Negotiating Text of
the COC ahead of schedule, Chinese State
Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said
after attending the China-ASEAN Foreign
Ministers’ Meeting.
In May 2017, China and ASEAN agreed on
a framework for the COC. In August 2018, they
arrived at the Single Draft Negotiating Text.
“COC progress went very smoothly and was
beyond our expectations in some regards. The
conclusion of the first reading also reflected
countries’ intentions to cooperate and place
importance on this issue,” Song said.
However, China and ASEAN should be wary
of outsiders’ meddling and interference in this
issue. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
once again made irresponsible remarks on
China’s efforts in maintaining peace in the
South China Sea during a meeting with ASEAN
foreign ministers.
In response, Wang said what “a certain
non-regional great power” has done is neither
goodwill behavior nor responsible action that
will address regional countries’ concerns for
peace and development.
“Going forward, perhaps there will be some
twists in details in future negotiations, but as
long as related parties move toward resolving
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tions,” Song concluded. QChinese State Councilor
and Foreign Minister
Wang Yi (sixth left) takes part
in the 20th ASEAN Plus Three
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,
consisting of ASEAN, China,
Japan and the Republic of
Korea, in Bangkok, Thailand,
on August 2XIN
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