The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) officially came into force on January 1, with six ASEAN members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and four non-ASEAN members -- China, Japan, New Zealand and Australia -- officially implementing the RCEP.

After eight years of negotiations, the RCEP was signed on November 15, 2020, and through the concerted efforts of all parties, it reached the threshold of entry into force on November 2, 2021. The entry into force of the RCEP marks the formal implementation of the free trade area with the largest population, the largest trade scale and the greatest potential in the world. It fully demonstrates the confidence and determination of all parties to jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade and promote regional economic integration. It will make important contribution to regional and global trade and investment growth, economic recovery, prosperity and development.

China will fully fulfill its RCEP obligations, implement the agreement with high quality, expand foreign trade and two-way investment, stabilize and strengthen industrial and supply chains, and continue to improve the business environment. We will encourage local governments, industries and enterprises to make good use of the RCEP's market opening commitments and rules, and better grasp the market opening opportunities brought about by the RCEP. Mofcom will work with relevant departments to continuously improve RCEP training, support the building of a public service platform for the free trade area, strengthen the function of the service network of China's free trade area, and provide guidance and services for local governments, industries and enterprises to implement the agreement at a high level.

China will work with RCEP members to actively participate in and support RCEP institutional building, contribute to RCEP economic and technical cooperation, jointly promote the overall implementation of the RCEP, continue to enhance regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and make the RCEP the main platform for economic and trade cooperation in East Asia.