"As one of the emerging economies, China has gained extensive experience in the effective implementation and utilization of the RCEP agreement and is capable of offering valuable insights for ASEAN countries," said Taufiq Arfi Wargadalam, executive director of the RCEP Support Unit, during the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum.

He added that China could deepen cooperation with ASEAN member states to further advance regional integration.

"When the scope of the FTA is larger, with more members, trade creation benefits will also be greater. It is directly proportional to its size," said Zhao Jinping, vice-president of China Association of Trade in Services, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that expanding the scope of RCEP members is not limited to the positive significance of mutual trade relations between members and their own economic development, but even has global significance.

"The RCEP itself should respond positively to these members' applications," said Zhao Jinping, vice-president of China Association of Trade in Services, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that the process of accepting new members should also be promoted in accordance with a well-established and mature procedure for accepting new members.

"The hype that the Philippines has recently caused related to the Tiexian Reef and Huangyan Island appears largely driven by its domestic midterm elections," said Wu Shicun, chairman of Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, during the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum. He also stated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is losing his earlier momentum, needing to misrepresent the South China Sea issue in order to preserve his strongman image.

"The South China Sea issue is not the entirety of China-ASEAN relations," said Wu Shicun, chairman of Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, during the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum. He believes that ACFTA 3.0 could create a favorable atmosphere for resolving the South China Sea issue, particularly in promoting maritime cooperation once it has completed the approval process and has entered the implementation phase.

"RCEP and FTAs need to support sustainable development," said Chaiwat Messanthan, director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. Messanthan also stated that this support will help every country in the region become more prosperous and bridge gaps in development.

"RCEP can become more updated with the new emerging issues," said Tina Kuniasari, ASEAN Co-Chair of the RCEP Joint Committee, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. Kuniasari also stated that ACFTA 3.0 and RCEP complement each other.

"RCEP will become more international," said Chi Fulin, president of China Institute for Reform and Development, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He also stated that RCEP's market will be far larger than the US market.

"Currently, one-third of the authors featured in Nature journal are Chinese names. In another 10 years, researchers predicted that it will be half," said Li Cheng, founding director of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that in the field of science and technology China is more open, China is more willing to absorb talent.

"The US may represent 13 percent of global imports, but its retreat from leadership in global trade governance actually creates a vacuum," said Yose Rizal Damuri, director of Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that RCEP members can and must fill this space for investing in rules-based integration that serves collective interest.

"I noted that China will always become our great example country in doing the implementation of RCEP," said Dina Kuniasari, ASEAN Co-Chair of the RCEP Joint Committee at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. She stated that the accession of the expansions of the RCEP will be the primary agenda.

"The CJK collaboration is indeed the key to upgrading RCEP," said Ahn Choong-yong, distinguished professor at the Graduate School of International Studies, Chung-Ang University, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that CJK FTA would facilitate the smooth and efficient upgrading of the current RCEP framework toward the high standards of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"RCEP is more than just a free trade agreement. It is also a strategic platform for the authorities of its participating countries to exchange views and jointly address emerging policy challenges," said Taufiq Arfi Wargadalam, executive director of the RCEP Support Unit, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. To fully realize RCEP's benefits, he encourages the authorities, media and think tanks to help businesses and investors understand and utilize the agreement.

"Trilateral cooperation was born from the joint efforts to overcome the 1997 Asian financial crisis," said LEE Hee-sup, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that we must strengthen our recognition of a shared destiny crossing the river in the same boat.

Media professionals and think tank experts on Sunday called for stronger implementation strategies and broader public outreach to maximize the benefits of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest free trade agreement.

Speaking at a sub-forum of the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum in Haikou, Hainan province, participants noted that while the agreement has boosted economic integration since taking effect in January 2022, challenges remain in adoption and public awareness.

The RCEP includes 15 Asia-Pacific nations and covers approximately one-third of the global GDP and population.

Lucio B. Pitlo III, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, said more effort is needed to highlight the pact's success stories while addressing hurdles.

"While we need transparent communication about implementation hurdles, we must also amplify stories of companies successfully using RCEP's preferential terms to grow their market share," he said. "These success cases are crucial for promoting the agreement."

Pitlo underscored RCEP's strategic importance, saying it pushes back against unilateralism and protectionism while advancing regional economic integration.

U Aye Chan, general secretary of the Myanmar Press Council, said limited awareness in Myanmar remains a barrier, especially among the general public.

"While government and big businesses utilize RCEP, general public knowledge remains minimal as people focus on other national issues," he said. "We need comprehensive education campaigns — not just for policymakers but at grassroots and entrepreneur levels — to demonstrate RCEP's importance."

Tunyathip Saengsuwan, senior officer at the RCEP Support Unit, pointed to specific obstacles hindering the pact's full potential.

"Media and think tanks play a vital role in explaining RCEP's benefits and driving business engagement," she said. "Current underutilization stems from complex provisions like rules of origin and nonlinear tariff elimination schedules that confuse enterprises."

She added that these technical complexities often become practical barriers to implementation. Stronger collaboration is needed among governments, the private sector, media and academia to bridge the gap between policy design and business realities, she said.

Luan Ruiying, associate senior editor of China Watch, said media and think tanks can increase engagement by translating policy into relatable narratives. By reporting success stories and offering professional analysis, they can help governments, businesses and the public better understand the content and impact of RCEP, she said.

Luan emphasized the importance of creating platforms for dialogue, such as forums and seminars, to promote policy communication and share best practices.

Kris Mada, deputy editor of the international desk at Kompas Morning Daily, said messaging should focus on real-life benefits.

"Promoting RCEP means showing people how it improves their daily lives — job opportunities abroad, educational exchanges, export possibilities — not focusing on technical agreement terms," he said.

"The ASEAN population is becoming increasingly digital tech-savvy, and digitalization is getting into virtually all major aspects of life," said Ong Tee Keat, president of Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific, Malaysia, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that China with its progress in digital economy will make the perfect partner for ASEAN to meet the ever growing demand of the 670 million population.

Scholars and officials on Sunday called for greater solidarity and cooperation to steadily advance regional integration under the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Speaking during a thematic dialogue at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum, participants explored practical ways to deepen cultural ties and strengthen mutual understanding across the region.

Tunyathip Saengsuwan, a senior officer at the RCEP Support Unit, stressed the need to enhance both the implementation and effective use of the agreement.

She noted that one of RCEP's biggest challenges is underutilization. A major reason, she said, lies in the complexity of some provisions and procedures, including rules of origin and non-linear tariff reduction schedules.

Such technical elements are often difficult for businesses — especially small and medium-sized enterprises — to understand, which limits their ability to fully benefit from the pact, she said.

Saengsuwan called on RCEP member states, along with businesses, think tanks, media outlets and academic institutions, to work more closely to ensure the agreement is fully implemented and its potential realized.

"Globalization is not only about economic integration, but also about deepening people-to-people ties," said Liu Gang, director of the Xinhua News Agency Research Institute. "Mutual learning among civilizations and an appreciation of cultural diversity play an irreplaceable role in facilitating economic and trade exchanges."

Although the 15 RCEP members vary widely in development stages, economic size, social systems and historical and cultural backgrounds, Liu said their shared aspiration for common prosperity has united them.

By "seeking common ground while shelving differences", Liu expressed confidence that the countries can address geopolitical or historical tensions and unlock meaningful opportunities for collective growth.

He added that China's initiatives — such as promoting high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and building a community with a shared future for humanity — are aimed at strengthening mutual understanding and trust, while fostering a more closely knit, open and inclusive regional cooperation framework.

At a time when protectionism and unilateralism are disrupting the global economic and trade order, Khin Maung Zaw, joint secretary of the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, welcomed the unity shown by several major Asian economies under the RCEP framework in tackling shared challenges.

He expressed hope that countries with strengths in production, supply chains, value chains and infrastructure would support other members in achieving inclusive and equitable development across the region.

Kris Mada, deputy editor of the international section at Kompas Morning Daily in Indonesia, emphasized the importance of helping the public understand the real-world benefits of RCEP. Doing so, he said, is essential to building broad-based consensus and public support.

RCEP has already delivered tangible gains for ordinary people, Mada said, including opportunities to study abroad, receive scholarships, find jobs overseas and access broader markets for their products.

He encouraged RCEP members to make the pact more attractive by expanding openness and improving connectivity — for example, by offering more competitive scholarships and promoting tourism.

Official data shows that a vocational education cooperation project along the China-Laos Railway has trained more than 2,000 railway technicians for Laos. Since the railway opened, it has carried more than 20 million passengers and significantly boosted cultural and tourism development along the route.

The implementation of Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area agreement will further bolster supply chain cooperation and catalyze industrial upgrading, experts said on Sunday, just a few days after negotiations on the deal were completed.

Speaking at a thematic dialogue of the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum held in Haikou, Hainan province, they said CAFTA 3.0 will not only upgrade the cooperation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, but also mitigate risks brought by unilateralism.

Economic and trade ministers from China and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states announced last week the full completion of CAFTA 3.0 negotiations.

Both sides will move forward with their domestic signing and ratification processes, aiming to formally sign the CAFTA 3.0 upgrade protocol by the end of this year, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

CAFTA 3.0 will help both China and ASEAN reconfigure global value chains, deepen mutual openness and boost cooperation in emerging industries, said Zhang Lijuan, a professor of international trade and world economy at Shandong University.

"As both sides are member economies of the RCEP, this will also inject fresh momentum into the pact's growth in the next stage," Zhang said.

China-ASEAN trade reached 2.38 trillion yuan ($329.62 billion) in the first four months of this year, up 9.2 percent year-on-year, accounting for 16.8 percent of China's total foreign trade, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs.

CAFTA 3.0 will establish an inclusive, modern, comprehensive and mutually beneficial free trade framework. It incorporates nine new chapters on areas such as the digital economy, green economy, supply chain connectivity, and economic and technical cooperation.

Huang Qunhui, a member of the economic committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said these additions will enable both sides to strengthen regional economic integration under new conditions, significantly enhance industrial and supply chain collaboration, and serve as a pioneering step for other bilateral or multilateral free trade deals.

For instance, despite significant progress, disparities in infrastructure development between China and ASEAN countries persist, with the digital divide posing a challenge to integration.

The CAFTA 3.0 framework will help bridge this gap and support more balanced, inclusive growth, said Huang, who is also a senior research fellow at the Institute of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Echoing this sentiment, Alvin Ang, senior researcher at Brunei's Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies, said small economies like Brunei integrate into trade agreements not just for foreign capital, but also for guidance and support, ensuring these investments yield meaningful results.

The upgrade of free trade agreements benefits not only individual countries, but also strengthens the broader regional trade community, he said.

Supreme Intelligent Technology Co, a Ningbo, Zhejiang province-based manufacturer of sewing machine equipment, welcomed the conclusion of the CAFTA 3.0 talks as a positive step forward.

"Our products are in high demand in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia," said Luo Qian, the company's president.

Supreme Intelligent Technology Co saw its exports to the ASEAN market surge 30 percent year-on-year to 80 million yuan between January and April, data from Ningbo Customs showed.

As an increasing number of manufacturers in Southeast Asia are keen to adopt advanced robotics systems and automated production lines to reduce their reliance on manual labor, Luo said that the implementation of CAFTA 3.0 will further enable more Chinese companies to seize new opportunities in the region.

The advancement of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement to a higher level and toward broader coverage will bolster economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and help stabilize a fracturing world trade system, officials and experts said on Sunday.

The mega trade pact, covering 30 percent of the world's total population and economic output, should play an even more significant role in championing free trade and mutual benefits as headwinds buffet the global economy, they said at the 2025 RCEP Media and Think Tank Forum held in Haikou, Hainan province.

The forum, themed "Jointly Building High-Level and Largest Free Trade Area", was organized by China Daily, the China Institute for Reform and Development and the China Oceanic Development Foundation.

"Unilateral protectionism and hegemonic bullying are wreaking havoc worldwide," said Hainan Governor Liu Xiaoming. "Yet the RCEP is injecting robust momentum into the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific, presenting member states with new market opportunities and bolstering the international community's confidence in multilateralism."

Hainan, as a free trade port, will fully leverage its existing policies to integrate with the rules of the RCEP, Liu said, adding that the province will turn itself into a crucial hub that facilitates market connectivity, factor mobility, rule coordination and industrial chain cooperation between China and other RCEP member economies.

"In the face of an increasingly uncertain and volatile global landscape, the steady progress of RCEP implementation has become even more precious," said Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily.

"Redoubling our efforts to push forward regional integration and economic globalization is essential for shaping a community with a shared future for mankind," Qu said, adding that the RCEP member economies should work together to build a regional community for scientific and technological innovation.

Harnessing the synergies of artificial intelligence-enabled joint research and cooperative networks among RCEP members will greatly enhance the collective capacity for innovation and smart development, he said.

The RCEP — the world's largest free trade pact, which is aimed at gradually eliminating tariffs on over 90 percent of goods traded among its 15 members — serves as a critical counterweight to the United States' blanket tariff hikes targeting global economies.

Last year, the total trade volume among RCEP members reached $5.7 trillion, up 2.5 percent year-on-year, according to a report released at the forum.

China, as a key player of the RCEP, has been making cutting-edge AI capabilities available both domestically and globally, with DeepSeek, a cost-effective and open-source large language model developed at a mere fraction of the cost of comparable US models, being a prime example.

"Looking ahead, an RCEP with higher standards, a broader scope and more inclusive development will surely inject certainty into the global economy," said Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute for Reform and Development.

At present, the RCEP comprises the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sri Lanka and Chile have submitted applications seeking accession to the RCEP.

Chi said that Hong Kong's accession would not only boost growth of regional trade, but also drive regional financial development and enhance the internationalization of regional industries. If Chile joins the group, it would mark an upgrade of the RCEP from a purely regional arrangement to a cross-regional one, he added.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn said, "The growing interest from potential applicant countries and regions represents a powerful testament to our commitment to maintaining an open and inclusive agreement."

He added that relevant parties are working diligently to finalize the details of the accession process as expeditiously as possible.

Meanwhile, the full completion of negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the accelerating negotiations for the China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Agreement are also converging to open up more opportunities for regional growth.

Lyu Bin, president of the China Oceanic Development Foundation, called for efforts to construct a platform for cooperation on the blue, or marine economy, helping RCEP member nations to identify their comparative resource advantages and optimize the layout of their marine industries.

wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn

"Building a high-level RCEP requires not only expanding the zero-tariff rate for goods, but also advancing high-level market openness for overall trade in services within the region," said Chi Fulin, president of China Institute for Reform and Development, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that a high-level RCEP will be established upon markets and rules, and it will bring about inclusive and sustainable growth within the region.