Interview:RCEPallaboutwin-wincooperation,notzero-sumgame,saysCambodianofficial_GuangmingOnlineInterview:RCEPallaboutwin-wincooperation,notzero-sumgame,saysCambodianofficialPhototakenonJan.13,2022showscontainersattheHongLengHuorDryPortonthewesternsuburbofPhnomPenh,Cambodia.(PhotobyPhearum/Xinhua)"It'sallaboutmediumandlong-terminterest,"saidKaoKimHourn,aministerattachedtotheprimeministerofCambodia."It'saboutmediumandlong-termcooperationamongcountriesinvolved."PHNOMPENH,Dec.28(Xinhua)--TheRegionalComprehensiveEconomicPartnership(RCEP),theworld'sbiggestfreetradedeal,isallabout"win-win"cooperationandis"notazero-sumgame,"aCambodiangovernmentofficialhassaid.TheRCEPisthevictoryoffreetradeandmultilateralismagainstthebackdropofprotectionismandanti-globalization,KaoKimHourn,aministerattachedtotheprimeministerofCambodia,toldXinhua.WorkersprocessfishforexportatafactoryinAnGiangprovince,Vietnam,March14,2022.(VNA/HandoutviaXinhua)Themega-regionaltradepactcomprises15Asia-Pacificcountries:10ASEAN(AssociationofSoutheastAsianNations)memberstates--Brunei,Cambodia,Indonesia,Laos,Malaysia,Myanmar,thePhilippines,Singapore,ThailandandVietnam--andtheirfivetradingpartners,namelyChina,Japan,SouthKorea,AustraliaandNewZealand.Allparticipatingcountrieswill"bebenefitingfromthisRCEPcooperation"inthelongrun,asitfacilitatesfreeflowsofgoodsandcontributestoattractingforeigndirectinvestment(FDI),saidKimHourn,whowilltakeoverthepostofsecretary-generalofASEANfromJanuary2023.AworkerarrangesduriansatadurianprocessingfactoryintheChanthaburiprovince,Thailand,May5,2022.(Xinhua/WangTeng)Thetradingarrangement,whichtookeffectonJan.1,2022,hasacombinedGDPof26.2trillionU.S.dollars,representingaround30percentofglobalGDP,28percentofglobaltrade,and32.5percentofglobalinvestment.Itwilleliminateasmuchas90percentofthetariffsongoodstradedamongitssignatoriesoverthenext20years."It'sallaboutmediumandlong-terminterest,"KimHournsaid."It'saboutmediumandlong-termcooperationamongcountriesinvolved."TheministersaidundertheRCEP,CambodiahasseenanincreaseintradevolumewithitsneighboringcountrieswithinASEANandwithotherRCEPmemberstates.Cambodia'stotalexporttoRCEPmemberswasvaluedat3.28billiondollarsinthefirsthalfof2022,up10percentfrom2.99billiondollarsinthesameperiodlastyear,accordingtoareportfromthecountry'sMinistryofCommerce.GarmentworkersmakeclothesatafactoryinPhnomPenh,CambodiaonDec.17,2021.(Xinhua/WuChangwei)"TheRCEPisgoodforCambodiabecausewebelieveinfreetradeareas,webelieveinexportandimport,andwebelieveinattractingFDI,"hesaid.SharinghisviewonChina'scontributiontoregionaltradeundertheRCEP,KimHournsaidit'simportantforASEANandChinatoworktogethertomaintainmultilateralismandtosupporttheWorldTradeOrganizationforglobalfreetrade."Chinaisbig,andeverybodywantstodobusinesswithChina,soit'snormalthatChina'sparticipationintheRCEPiscritical,andwe'rehappythatChinaisinit,"hesaid,addingthatChina"makesimportantcontributionstotheRCEP."AccordingtoastudybytheAsianDevelopmentBank,theRCEPisexpectedtoincreaseitsmembereconomies'incomesby0.6percentby2030,andadd245billiondollarsannuallytoregionalincomeand2.8millionjobstoregionalemployment.■Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.