Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

October 27, 2025
Japanese
Foreign Minister MOTEGI exchanges views with Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia
(Photo) Foreign Minister MOTEGI’s Participation in the RCEP Summit Meeting
Scene at the venue

On October 27, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for foreign affairs of Japan, attended the 5th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ASEAN Chair of this year. The overview of the event is as follows:

  1. At the 5th RCEP Summit meeting, Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, welcomed the participation of various countries as the Chair of the meeting.
  2. It was followed by remarks from each participating country; they discussed such issues as the implementation of the RCEP Agreement and challenges faced by participating countries. Minister MOTEGI made the following remarks:
    1. Minister expressed his respect for Malaysia, ASEAN Chair of this year, and Indonesia, ASEAN Co-Chair for RCEP;
    2. He emphasized that for this region to enjoy sustainable growth and prosperity, it is essential to maintain and strengthen a free, fair, and rules-based economic order. The importance of economic partnerships including the RCEP Agreement, which complement WTO rules, is increasing;
    3. Full and transparent implementation of the RCEP Agreement is crucial. Japan will support the implementation of rules in areas such as e-commerce and intellectual property and is ready to contribute to discussions on strengthening the secretariat; and
    4. Furthermore, RCEP participating countries face various trade and investment challenges within the region. Such challenges include non-market policies and practices, which cause excess capacity and undermine level playing field, as well as the stable supply of critical minerals. The upgrade of the agreement is set to begin in 2027. All RCEP participating countries should engage in earnest discussions to ensure that the RCEP Agreement becomes rules that genuinely resolve regional challenges.
  3. At the closing of the meeting, Minister MOTEGI, invited by the Chair to deliver remarks as this year's RCEP Co-Chair country, concluded the meeting by underscoring the importance of further developing the RCEP based on the constructive and forward-looking discussions held among the participating countries today.
  4. Following the discussions, the participating countries concurred on the following points, which are reflected on the Joint Leaders' Statement:
  • - committing to the full and effective implementation of the RCEP Agreement;
  • - refraining from any measures inconsistent with the obligations under the Agreement;
  • - preparing for the General Review of the Agreement scheduled for 2027; and
  • - advancing the accession process while ensuring that the standards of the Agreement are maintained.

(Reference1) RCEP Participating Countries:

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea

(Reference2) Attachment:

Joint Leaders’ Statement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) (PDF)Open a New Window

(Reference3)Related links:

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