每周一词第159期—区域全面经济伙伴关系协定
Word of the Week--- RCEP
【词义解释】
RCEP的全称是Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership，即区域全面经济伙伴关系协定。11月15日，东盟十国以及中国、日本、韩国、澳大利亚、新西兰15个国家在第四次区域全面经济伙伴关系协定领导人会议上，正式签署区域全面经济伙伴关系协定（RCEP），标志着全球规模最大的自由贸易协定（free trade agreement (FTA) ）正式达成。
东盟十国一般指东南亚国家联盟。东南亚国家联盟（Association of Southeast Asian Nations－ASEAN），简称东盟（ASEAN）。1967年8月8日成立于泰国曼谷，现有10个成员国：印度尼西亚、马来西亚、菲律宾、泰国、新加坡、文莱、柬埔寨、老挝、缅甸、越南（Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam）。
签署RCEP，是地区国家以实际行动维护多边贸易体制（multilateral trading system）、建设开放型世界经济的重要一步，对深化区域经济一体化（regional economic integration）、稳定全球经济具有标志性意义。
【背景介绍】
RCEP规模
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), covering nearly a third of the global population and about 30 percent of global GDP, was signed by its 15 members on Sunday at the fourth RCEP summit in Hanoi. It is the world's biggest free trade agreement (FTA).
11月15日，区域全面经济伙伴关系协定15个成员国在河内举行的第四次区域全面经济伙伴关系协定领导人会议上，正式签署区域全面经济伙伴关系协定。它是全球最大的自贸协定，15个成员国总人口、经济体量均占全球总量约30%。
RCEP发展历程
The agreement will promote fewer tariffs on trade in goods, and better rules for trade in services. Besides, non-tariff barriers to trade among its members, such as customs and quarantine procedures and technical standards will be reduced.
区域全面经济伙伴关系协定旨在削减关税，建立统一市场的自由贸易协定。同时，各成员国间削减非关税壁垒，比如减少海关程序、检验检疫、技术标准等。
It will also allow for one set of rules of origin to qualify for tariffs reduction with RCEP members.
通过削减关税，区域全面经济伙伴关系协定成员在区域内采取共同的原产地规则。
Initiated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2012, RCEP is a proposed FTA between the 10 ASEAN member states and their six FTA partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India who was involved in earlier discussions but opted out last year.
区域全面经济伙伴关系协定于2012年由东盟十国发起，邀请了中国、日本、韩国、澳大利亚、新西兰、印度等6个国家参加。印度参与了前期的谈判过程，于去年宣布退出谈判。
In November last year, 15 participating countries of the agreement concluded text-based negotiations and essentially all market access issues.
去年11月， 区域全面经济伙伴关系协定15个成员国结束全部文本谈判及实质上所有市场准入谈判。
RCEP重要性
The RCEP agreement will accelerate the building of the ASEAN economic community and thereby allow ASEAN to become dynamic and strong partners in promoting cooperation for shared prosperity, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said.
越南总理阮春福表示，区域全面经济伙伴关系协定将推动东盟经济共同体建设，让东盟成为参与推动共同繁荣的有力伙伴。
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed that "the signing of the RCEP is not only a landmark achievement of East Asian regional cooperation, but also a victory of multilateralism and free trade."
国务院总理李克强表示，该协定的签署“不仅仅是东亚区域合作极具标志性意义的成果，更是多边主义和自由贸易的胜利”。
China and Japan have reached a bilateral tariff reduction arrangement for the first time, achieving a historic breakthrough, according to China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) on its website.
财政部表示，中国和日本首次达成了双边关税减让安排，实现了历史性突破。
The signing of RCEP plays an extremely important role in the economic recovery of its members in the post-epidemic period besides promoting long-term prosperity and development, the statement said.
财政部称，该协定顺利签署，对增强各国疫后经济恢复、促进长期繁荣发展具有极为重要的推动作用。
Moreover, the preferential results of the agreement directly benefit consumers and enterprises and will play an important role in enriching consumer market choices and reducing enterprises' trade costs, the ministry noted.
此外，财政部指出，该协定的优惠成果直接惠及消费者和行业企业，将为丰富消费市场选择、降低企业贸易成本发挥重要作用。
【例句】
free trade agreement (FTA) 自由贸易协定
bilateral 双边的；有两边的
preferential 优先的；选择的；特惠的；先取的
tariff 关税表；收费表
barrier 障碍物，屏障；界线
quarantine检疫隔离期；隔离；检疫；检疫区，隔离区
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 东盟
multilateralism 多边主义
bilateral 双边的；有两边的
preferential 优先的；选择的；特惠的；先取的
撰稿：衡飞