We, the Heads of State/Government of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Participating Countries– the ASEAN Member States and ASEAN’s free trade agreement (FTA) partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand – gathered on 14 November 2017 in Manila, Philippines.

We noted that, despite the recent global economic slowdown, rising protectionism, and antiglobalization sentiments, our economies have remained resilient and continued to grow apace relative to the rest of the world. We acknowledged the valuable contribution of trade openness and regional economic integration which cushion the region from the more volatile global macroeconomic environment, allowing us to maintain our robust economic performance.

Read the full statement here.