RCEP media and think tank forum to kick off in Hainan

2025 marks the fifth year since the official signing of RCEP and is also a crucial year for the full implementation of RCEP. Facing the new situation and opportunities, taking practical measures to build a high-level RCEP free trade area has become a major topic of common concern among regional economies.

Against this backdrop, 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum, themed "Jointly Building High-Level and Largest Free Trade Area", will be held in Haikou, Hainan, on May 24-25, 2025. The forum is jointly organized by China Daily, China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD), and China Oceanic Development Foundation, and co-organized by Boao Forum for Asia Academy, Hainan Institute for Free Trade Port Studies (HIFTPS), and Hainan Reform and Development Research Foundation (RDRF).

Government officials, diplomatic envoys, renowned think tank experts, senior media professionals, entrepreneurs, and business association representatives from RCEP countries will conduct in in-depth discussions on key topics, including: "RCEP in a Changing World", "Jointly Building High-Level and Largest Free Trade Area", "Promoting the Coordinated Development of RCEP and Other Regional Free Trade Agreements", "Benchmarking Against High-Standard International Economic and Trade Rules and the Upgrading of RCEP", "RCEP Expansion and Institution-Building", and "Tell the RCEP Story Well and Enhance Cooperation Consensus". During the forum, CIRD will release RCEP Research Report.

Since 2021, China Daily, CIRD, and relevant organizations have jointly organized four sessions of the forum, facilitating high-level discussion among policymakers, business leaders, scholars, research institutions and media professionals from RCEP countries. The forum has attracted over 1,300 participants, including representatives from mainstream media, authoritative think tanks, multinational corporations, and international organizations such as: ASEAN Secretariat, China-ASEAN Centre, Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (China-Japan-ROK), Asian Development Bank, and Asia News Network. Participants hail from China, Japan, the ROK, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei, Australia, the UK, Russia, Belgium, Nepal, Pakistan, and others.

Forum outcomes have been extensively reported and cited by over 1,000 global mainstream press, generating over 1 billion cumulative impressions. By advocating for RCEP's full implementation, fostering a unified RCEP regional market, and improving RCEP utilization rate, the forum has played a vital role in strengthening consensus, boosting confidence, and driving collective action for regional cooperation.