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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Leading experts from Malaysia welcomed the establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the 37th Leaders Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), calling it an innovative development for the countries of the region after years of talks.
Ahamed Kameel Mydin Meera, president of the Movement for Monetary Justice, told Anadolu Agency that the ASEAN summit has shown effective results despite restrictive conditions due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“The countries of the region have offered concrete offers, especially in terms of economic health policies. The solutions offered regarding the COVID-19 pandemic were quite constructive and realistic, ”Mydin said.
Referring to the signing of the RCEP agreement as a result of eight years of negotiations as a great achievement, he said: “These comprehensive free trade agreements have both negative and positive aspects. The abolition of the customs duty provides the countries of the agreement with the free movement of commercial products between them ”.
“It also creates an opportunity for consumers to obtain imported products at lower costs. But local producers can face damages from the deal as long as they are not involved in this competition. Therefore, India has withdrawn from the RCEP negotiations ”.
Mydin pointed out that the free trade agreement can generate the risk of foreign dependence for countries with less production capacity.
Take Malaysia as an example. Malaysia has not reached a competitive level in agricultural production. Our food imports are very high. That some countries stopped exporting food to Malaysia during the COVID-19 period left Malaysia in a very difficult situation, ”he said.
He stressed that despite a number of risks, the RCEP deal is a significant opportunity for economies damaged during the pandemic.
Regarding ASEAN-US relations, Mydin said “ASEAN will maintain its neutral stance on the US-China rivalry.”
“It is inevitable that the RCEP agreement will increase China’s economic influence in the region, but the ASEAN countries will not risk their relations with the United States.”
Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, professor of political science at Sains University in Malaysia, said the RCEP deal is the result of the gradual decline in US influence in Asia-Pacific.
“We cannot know if China occupying the space left by the US will result in economic dominance or hegemony, but China will use the advantages granted by the RCEP to reinforce its claims of dominance in the South China Sea and its ideal of the Strip. and the Initiative Route, ”said Hamid.
He warned ASEAN countries not to meekly sign the agreement, but to set their own conditions after thoroughly evaluating it in terms of politics and national security.
Hamid stressed that ASEAN countries need to engage in dialogue and cooperation more than ever.
Professor Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman, member of the Permanent Independent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OCI) said that “this agreement, reached after lengthy negotiations, covers 2.1 billion people and 30% of the world gross domestic product (GDP). Without a doubt, this agreement will improve economic integration in Asia-Pacific and will open new doors for various types of cooperation ”.
He went on to say that ASEAN is a promising formation that tends to increase its economic power.
“ASEAN will maintain its pragmatic approach to regional interests and remain neutral in the face of superpower rivalry.”
* Written by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara.
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