Duterte: TPP “a dream that was no longer there” as he pushes for speedy act on RCEP

August 8, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday the Trans-Pacific Partnership was "a dream that was no longer there" as he pushed for the immediate conclusion of the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations.

In a speech during the grand celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and closing ceremony of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay City, Duterte underscored the importance of RCEP.

"The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP will provide further impetus to our efforts. Negotiations should conclude swiftly as decided by RCEP leaders in 2016," he said.

"I was reminded that the Trans-Pacific, it was a dream that was no longer there," he added.

The United States under then President Barack Obama pushed for the TPP. The other 11 countries which signed up to TPP in February 2016 were Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

But when US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency, he abandoned the TPP, a free trade agreement designed to liberalize trade and investment among the signatories.

RCEP, on the other hand, aims to achieve a modern, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among the 10 ASEAN members states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and ASEAN's free trade agreement partners, namely, Australia, People’s Republic of China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, and New Zealand.

The RCEP negotiation includes: trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement, e-commerce, small and medium enterprises and other issues.

In the same speech, Duterte expressed confidence that ASEAN countries would prevail against the "new and emerging challenges" they face as a community.

"As we stand at the center of the future of the [Asia-Pacific] region, we [must] remember our responsibility to fully realize the dreams and aspirations for our peoples: We want a region that is secure -- where our peoples can live without fear from the lawless elements and the debilitating effects of corruption and transnational crimes," he said.

He said the people want a region that is stable, "where democratic institutions work, where nations regard each other with mutual respect and understanding, and where the rule of law reigns supreme in the relations between states.

"We want a region that is sustainable and inclusive in its growth -- where no one is left behind and everyone has the opportunity [to realize] their potentials. It is a journey that continues as we seek to engage with our neighbors positively in dialogue partnerships that continue to grow," he added.

Duterte also paid tribute to the founding fathers of ASEAN as he led the conferment of awards to them or to their representatives. Celerina Monte/DMS