x
Help Us Guide You Better
best online ias coaching in india
2020-11-16

Download Pdf

banner

International Relations
www.thehindu.com

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ASEAN Summit on November 12 and highlighted the necessity for peace and stability in the region but maintained silence regarding RCEP, indicating India’s difficulty in welcoming the China-backed grouping. India’s ties with China in recent months have been disturbed by the military tension in eastern Ladakh along the LAC. In the meantime, India has also held maritime exercise with Japan, Australia, United States for the “Quad” that was interpreted as an anti-China move.

However, these moves did not influence Japanese and Australian plans regarding RCEP. Experts are interpreting the beginning of RCEP as a major development that will help China and trade in Asia-Pacific region in the post-COVID-19 scenario.

‘Leverage for China’

“The agreement means a lot for China, as it will give it access to Japanese and South Korean markets in a big way, as the three countries haven’t yet agreed on their FTA,” said Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. “The fact this happened, despite the pandemic, is certainly leverage for China, and shows the idea of decoupling from China is not a substantive issue in a regional sense.”

While the door remains open for India to join, Mr. Palit said there was “a degree of cynicism” among trade representatives in the region after how the negotiations turned out. “Except perhaps with Australia and Japan, there is a sense that India increasingly turning inward doesn’t connect with a region looking to come together,” he said.

India had ended negotiation on RCEP last November over terms that were perceived to be against its interests.

Subscribe to The Hindu digital to get unlimited access to Today's paper

Already have an account ? Sign in

Start your 14 days free trial. Sign Up

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

END
© Zuccess App by crackIAS.com