ＲＣＥＰ、年内妥結困難＝閣僚会合で一致できず

　【バンコク時事】日本、中国、韓国と東南アジア諸国連合（ＡＳＥＡＮ）加盟国など計１６カ国が参加する東アジア地域包括的経済連携（ＲＣＥＰ）交渉の閣僚会合が１日、バンコクで開かれた。４日の首脳会合の声明内容について協議したが、一致できなかった。目標とする年内妥結は厳しい情勢だ。関税の撤廃・削減をめぐり対立が残ったとみられる。
　日本からは梶山弘志経済産業相の代わりに牧原秀樹経産副大臣が出席。牧原氏は１日夜、会合後の記者会見で、「本国に確認する部分が残っている」と語り、閣僚間で合意に至っていないことを明らかにした。
　閣僚会合では、関税撤廃・削減といった論点を折衝した。首脳声明の方向性は共有したが、文言などで一致できず、議長国タイは予定されていた記者対応を中止。交渉筋は「あとは首脳の決断に委ねられる」と述べた。（2019/11/02-01:09）

Ministers from Japan, China, South Korea and 13 other states were apart in their talks on the envisioned Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership on Friday, rendering it difficult for the nations to meet their goal of concluding the free trade talks by the end of the year.
   At the day's meeting, held in Bangkok, the ministers discussed items to be included in a joint statement that would be adopted at a summit of the 16 nations slated for Monday in the Thai capital. But they were unable to find a middle ground in the sensitive field of tariff cuts and elimination, informed source said.
   State minister of trade Hideki Makihara represented Japan at the session on behalf of trade minister Hiroshi Kajiyama. "On some issues, I have to consult with my home government," Makihara said at a press conference, indicating that the ministerial meeting failed to strike an accord.
   The ministers shared a direction of the leaders' statement. But they remained at odds over the wording for the document and other details, leading Thailand, the chair of the meeting, to cancel a press briefing slated after the session, "A decision will be left to the leaders," a source familiar with the negotiations said.
   The RCEP would create an economic bloc accounting for about half of the world population, and some 30 pct of global trade value and gross domestic product. The 16 countries involved in the RCEP talks are Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations--Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.