The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is entering a new phase of expansion and upgrading, injecting fresh momentum into Asia-Pacific economic integration.

The fifth RCEP Ministerial Meeting since the agreement took effect concluded in Manila, the Philippines, on September 21, 2026. Ministers issued a joint media statement outlining priorities for strengthening implementation, expanding membership and upgrading the agreement.

A key outcome was the formal launch of the RCEP expansion process. Members agreed to establish accession working groups for Bangladesh, Chile, Hong Kong, China, and Sri Lanka, while also taking note of Uruguay's interest in joining. The expansion could further increase RCEP's market size and geographic reach.

At the same time, RCEP is preparing to upgrade its rules. Members agreed to advance work toward a 2027 review and instructed the RCEP Joint Committee to draft a Joint Scoping Document for the upgrade process. Emerging areas including the digital economy, green transformation and fair competition could be considered as the agreement evolves.

The meeting also stressed greater participation by businesses and academia. The official RCEP website has been launched to improve access to information and help companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, make better use of the agreement's rules.

Against a backdrop of rising protectionism, supply-chain restructuring and uncertainty in the global economy, RCEP is pursuing two parallel tracks: expanding its membership and strengthening its rules.

These efforts are expected to further unlock the benefits of the agreement and support deeper economic integration across the Asia-Pacific. 

(Liu Chenyang is director of the APEC Research Center at Nankai University. CGTN reporter Li Shuang also contributed to the article.)