Why is Asia-Pacific's new trade deal so important? | Inside Story

A third of the global economy comes under the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or R-Cep.
China, ten southeast asian nations along with South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand have signed the free-trade agreement.
But the U.S. is excluded, leaving Beijing as the dominant economy in the bloc.
So, will this deal help the region's economy?
Presenter: Bernard Smith
Guests:
Phar Kim Beng - Founder of the Strategic Pan Indo-Pacific Arena think tank.
Gareth Leather - Senior Economist at Capital Economics.
Stan Veuger - Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
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[@Kiwi09876]

Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) as one ❣️

[@WhiteASS2008]

still trying so hard to promote TPP. what u talking abt? RCEP was initiated by ASEAN, China politely accepted. TPP was initiated by US, and then quit from it. can u see how embarrasse that is?

[@anderslenart8570]

Well done Asia!

[@mathewmathew08]

It is funny that 3 commentators, only one is really came from the region of the signatories of the trade deal.

[@alext8718]

I smell a ton of sour grapes here！

[@johanongchangco8525]

The theme I am getting from this exchange is "sour graping"

[@Sonny111]

USA is not part of Asia Pacific. What geography are u teaching?

[@esashaik7083]

Dont ever allow America into RCEP.

[@aonaga8657]

I love this and American stooges crying sour grapes 😂😂😂

[@scottgeorge4268]

Typical that the UK commentator plays down the importance of the RCEP.

[@seun5310]

So now I am trying to learn Mandarin. Ni hao ma? Wo hen hao.

[@AbiManyu-mv3ly]

The greatest news in 2020 and thus the Asian version of the EU is born.

[@stanstan8453]

This news misleading and biased,

[@leowteckseng8753]

I don't understand that this is 'for politics'. But it is for a common cause. Peace, stability & trade. As for the rest of 'who benefits most', it depends on yr own hard work.

[@kabulpaws3386]

It's good time to be alive to witness when the power is shifting back from the west to east I hope all asian countries will eventually join and make the eu seem like a peanut

[@dominionspan4174]

China helped and led these economies out of the Asian Financial crisis In 1997. Without China RCEP won't be the largest FT deal.

[@marvinfok65]

The Vietnamese Prime Minister looked so happy. He is genuinely smiling with the signing of RCEP. Vietnam will also gain a lot from RCEP as investments from China, Japan and Korea will pour into Vietnam, getting them out of the economic slump due to the COVID-19 pandemic quickly.

[@ramonng7054]

Why is the US even concerned with China's influencing its region and neighbors, when its food lines and covid infections are skyhigh..

[@kenrose9065]

Yankee GO HOME! Stay there, and if you want to return, do so with honesty, integrity, sound business practices and common sense. We are a people of honest business practices and peace.

[@JasonC683]

america is just bitter that it can do to asia what it did to the proud peoples of dakota, Iroquois, apache, navajo... read about the trail of tears