ASEAN Backs Timor-Leste’s Entry into RCEP After Granting Full Membership
Jakarta. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signaled on Thursday that Timor-Leste would join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the China-backed free trade pact, following its official accession as ASEAN’s newest member.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn confirmed that Timor-Leste’s participation in RCEP and other ASEAN-led initiatives was already being planned, though he stopped short of specifying a timeline.
“By becoming a formal ASEAN member, Timor-Leste will be part of every initiative, mechanism, and structure that we have in ASEAN, but also with our external partners,” Kao said in Jakarta.
“In that regard, I would say, yes, Timor-Leste will be working on [joining the RCEP] as well.”
Timor-Leste was formally welcomed as ASEAN’s 11th member during the bloc’s summit in Kuala Lumpur last weekend, marking the end of its 13-year bid for membership.
Kao said discussions at the Kuala Lumpur summit also focused on expanding the RCEP, with Chile, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh among the economies seeking to join.
“The summit called for the acceleration of the accession process to ensure RCEP’s openness and inclusivity. For the very first time, at the highest level, we are ready to move forward on the accession process,” Kao said.
The RCEP, which took effect in January 2022, is the world’s largest trade agreement, encompassing about 28 percent of global GDP. The pact aims to eliminate tariffs on 92 percent of traded goods within 20 years among its members, which currently include the 10 ASEAN nations, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
Timor-Leste first applied for ASEAN membership in 2011, with President José Ramos-Horta famously quipping that “the road to heaven is easier than the road to ASEAN.” The bloc agreed “in principle” to admit Timor-Leste in 2022, granting full membership three years later.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão hailed the milestone, saying it would open new economic and development opportunities for the young nation.
“For Timor-Leste, this new beginning brings immense opportunities in trade, investment, education, and the digital economy,” Gusmão said.
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