Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia will reinforce ASEAN’s central role in guiding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)’s implementation as the country prepares to host the 5th RCEP Leaders’ Meeting slated to take place on October 27 on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the DHL GoTrade Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that for ASEAN, RCEP represents far more than an economic arrangement; it is a strategic affirmation that open regionalism remains our pathway to shared prosperity.
So, Malaysia wants RCEP to serve not just the interests of large multinational corporations, but also to deliver concrete benefits to our small and medium enterprises (SMEs), workers, and communities.
According to the PM, the success of RCEP will depend on ASEAN’s ability to translate commitments into opportunities. This includes addressing non-tariff barriers, enhancing trade facilitation, and ensuring that the digital economy, green transition, and services sectors are fully integrated into the framework.
He stressed that to promote the vision of deeper integration, ASEAN in particular and the world in general need to pay more attention to RCEP, the world's largest trade agreement that contributes nearly one third of global GDP and trade.
RCEP member countries include ten ASEAN countries and free trade agreement partners including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
He added that ASEAN’s continued openness and unity would be key to maintaining its role as a global manufacturing hub and fast-growing market of 680 million people.
In the next five years, ASEAN is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy — the growth, Anwar said, stemmed from the region’s commitment to free and fair trade.
He said Malaysia aimed to strengthen its role as a trusted investment hub while ensuring that local enterprises and start-ups were not left behind.
Malaysia continues to support SMEs through expanded guarantees and financing facilities, helping them innovate, digitalise, and compete confidently in global markets.
Anwar also called for trade and growth to be guided by technology, sustainability and inclusivity./.
