Recognizing  the ASEAN Framework for Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),  the 

objective of launching RCEP negotiations is to achieve a  modern,  comprehensive, high-quality  and 

mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among the ASEAN Member States and ASEAN’s FTA Partners. RCEP will cover trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical 

cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement and other issues. 

Negotiations for the RCEP will recognize ASEAN Centrality in the emerging regional economic architecture and the interests of ASEAN’s FTA Partners in supporting and contributing to economic 

1.  The RCEP will be consistent with the WTO, including GATT Article XXIV and GATS Article V. 

2.  The RCEP will have broader and deeper engagement with significant improvements over  the 

existing ASEAN+1 FTAs, while recognizing the individual and diverse circumstances of the participating countries. 

 

3.  The RCEP will include provisions to facilitate  trade and investment and to enhance 

transparency in trade and investment relations between the participating countries, as well as to 

facilitate the participating countries’ engagement in global and regional supply chains. 

4.  Taking into consideration the different levels of development of the participating countries, the 

RCEP will include  appropriate forms of flexibility including  provision  for  special and differential 

treatment, plus additional flexibility to the least-developed ASEAN Member States, consistent with the existing ASEAN+1 FTAs, as applicable. 

出于不同发展阶段的考虑，纳入灵活性机制，包括专门区别待遇等条款。 

5.  The ASEAN+1 FTAs and the bilateral/plurilateral FTAs between and among participating 

countries will continue to exist and no provision in the RCEP agreement will detract from the terms and conditions in these bilateral/plurilateral FTAs between and among the participating countries

6.  Any ASEAN FTA Partner that did not participate in the RCEP negotiations at the outset would 

be allowed to join the negotiations, subject to terms and conditions that would be agreed with all other participating countries. The RCEP agreement will also have an open accession clause to enable the participation of any ASEAN FTA partner that did not participate in the RCEP negotiations and any other external economic partners after the completion of the RCEP negotiations.  

后续成员加入需要既有成员一致同意。 

7.  Provisions for technical assistance and capacity building may be made available, building upon 

the ASEAN+1 FTAs,  to the developing and least-developed countries participating in the RCEP to 

enable all parties to fully participate in the negotiations, implement obligations under the RCEP and 

enjoy the benefits from the RCEP. 

8.  The negotiations on trade in goods, trade in services, investment and other areas will be conducted in parallel to ensure a comprehensive and balanced outcome. 

The RCEP will aim at creating a liberal, facilitative,  and competitive  investment  environment in the region. Negotiations for investment under the RCEP will cover the four pillars of promotion, protection, facilitation and liberalization. 

RCEP投资政策在于建立一个自由、便利、竞争的投资环境，并涵盖投资促进、保护、便利与自由化等四大支柱议题。

VII.  DISPUTE SETTLEMENT 

The RCEP will include a dispute settlement mechanism that would provide an effective, efficient and 

transparent process for consultations and dispute resolution. 

VIII.   OTHER ISSUES 

The RCEP  negotiations will consider including other issues covered by FTAs among RCEP participating countries, which may be identified and mutually agreed in the course of negotiations, and take into account new and emerging issues relevant to business realities. 

The RCEP negotiations will commence in early 2013 and aim to complete by end-2015.