On September 17th, the 20th China ASEAN Expo and the 3rd RCEP Economic and Trade Cooperation Business Summit Forum were held, and the RCEP Regional Cooperation Effectiveness and Development Prospects Report 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") was released.

The report is compiled based on the research results of the "Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Implementation Effect of RCEP" section of the Asian Cooperation Fund project. It reviews and summarizes the positive effects of RCEP implementation on regional trade and investment and China's economic development over the past year, and looks forward to the future cooperation prospects of RCEP.

The report evaluates that since the implementation of RCEP, the industrial and supply chain cooperation relationships among members have shown strong resilience, promoting regional economic and trade cooperation and the initial release of economic growth dividends. Not only have ASEAN and other RCEP members benefited significantly, but they have also generated positive spillover and demonstration effects, becoming a favorable factor driving global trade and investment growth under multiple crises. Faced with a complex and severe international situation, China's trade in goods with RCEP partners has made steady progress, and investment cooperation has shown outstanding performance. It has played a positive role in stabilizing foreign investment and foreign trade, and stabilizing the supply chain.

The report also evaluated and analyzed the effectiveness of RCEP implementation based on enterprise questionnaire surveys. The results show that the surveyed companies have a good overall perception of RCEP. Most enterprises give positive evaluations on expanding export markets, increasing trade opportunities, enjoying facilitation measures, improving the business environment, and utilizing rules for benefits. In addition, the report looks forward to the prospects of RCEP regional economic cooperation and proposes cooperation suggestions for further high-quality implementation of RCEP.

The report can provide policy guidance for government departments of various countries to further promote the high-quality implementation of RCEP in the region, help to further enhance consensus among all parties, stimulate the vitality of RCEP regional economic and trade cooperation, promote the deepening of recognition and understanding of RCEP rules and China's free trade area construction by all sectors of society, and also help enterprises and local governments better seize the development opportunities of RCEP and expand the potential of regional trade and investment cooperation.

(Reporter Deng Junyang and Mo Xianglong from the headquarters)