Chi Fulin: Do not lead RCEP into a "detour"; development remains the top priority

LightningPacketLoss · 2026-03-29T15:34:31+00:00

At the Boao Asia Forum sub-forum, Chi Fulin pointed out that RCEP has become an important force driving regional integration, emphasizing that future development remains the top priority and that free trade and win-win cooperation must be upheld. Data shows the significant achievements of RCEP, and he believes that future efforts should focus on development orientation, strengthen market openness and rule-making to enhance the enforceability of the agreement.

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2026-03-29 15:34:31

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Source: Boao Forum for Asia

On March 25, at the 2026 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference sub-forum “RCEP: How to Unlock Greater Potential?”, Chi Fulin, President of the China (Hainan) Reform and Development Research Institute and President of the Hainan Free Trade Port Research Institute, stated that over the past five years, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has become an important force in promoting regional integration and global development. Looking ahead, development remains the top priority for RCEP, and it is essential to adhere to the direction of free trade to achieve certainty through openness.

Chi Fulin illustrated the effectiveness of RCEP with a set of data: last year, the trade volume of goods between China and RCEP member countries, especially ASEAN countries, reached 7.55 trillion yuan, exceeding 1 trillion US dollars. He pointed out that RCEP not only includes developed countries like Singapore but also encompasses developing and underdeveloped countries, reflecting the idea of shared development and exploring a new path of win-win cooperation for the world.

In the face of current uncertainties in global economic growth, Chi Fulin emphasized that the greatest certainty comes from development. “If ASEAN becomes the third or fourth largest economy in the world in the next five to ten years, and if China becomes the largest economy in the world in the next five to ten years, this will profoundly change the global landscape and inject strong momentum into global growth.” Chi Fulin believes that RCEP should focus on three aspects in the future: first, to maintain a development-oriented approach and not divert the agreement onto other tracks; second, to uphold free trade, as only an open market has vitality; and third, to strengthen rule-making through the establishment of an RCEP secretariat, accelerating the pace of expansion, and enhancing the institutionalization and enforcement of the agreement.

“Never divert RCEP onto other ‘slant paths’; development remains the top priority. Only through development can Asia, China, and RCEP become the greatest certainty in the world,” Chi Fulin said.

(Editor: Wenjing)

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                                                            RCEP

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