Japan Backs Malaysia’s Push For ASEAN Economic Integration Under RCEP, CPTPP
By Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Japan has voiced strong support for Malaysia’s leadership in accelerating ASEAN’s regional economic integration, saying that deeper cooperation under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will help harmonise standards, ease cross-border trade and strengthen supply-chain resilience across the region.
Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata said Tokyo views RCEP and CPTPP as the main pillars of a free and open Indo-Pacific trade platform and will continue to work closely with Malaysia to advance regional market integration.
Both frameworks remain critical to ensuring supply-chain connectivity and rules-based trade in the region, he said.
“Under Malaysia’s chairmanship, we are moving in the same direction towards a more connected and innovative regional economy.
“Between Japan and Malaysia, we are both free-trade-orientated nations, and we are both members of those free-trade agreements,” he told Bernama, adding that Tokyo will continue to promote high-standard trade rules that encourage innovation, investment and inclusive growth.
He was speaking in an exclusive interview ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits hosted by Malaysia, which holds the ASEAN chairmanship this year under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
The summits, to be held in the next three days (Oct 26-28), would see the participation of top leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states as well as key dialogue partners including the United States (US), China and Japan.
Newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office on Oct 21, 2025, will leave for Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (today) to attend the ASEAN Summit and meet her Malaysian counterpart and ASEAN chair, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in bilateral talks.
CPTPP is a free trade agreement signed by 12 countries, comprising Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam, with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of about US$15.8 trillion (US$1 = RM4.22), accounting for 14.4 per cent of the world’s total GDP.
Meanwhile, RCEP, the world’s largest free trade zone that comprises the ASEAN member states as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, accounts for 30 per cent of the world’s GDP.
According to Shikata, many Japanese companies in ASEAN still face fragmented regulations and country-specific investment rules, limiting cross-border efficiency within regional value chains.
“Harmonised regulations and greater connectivity would enhance regional value chains and help prevent future disruptions.
“At this point of time, my impression is the ASEAN market is somewhat compartmentalised. (For example,) auto companies producing parts in Cambodia are suffering from disruption of cross-border trade (due to the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute),” he said.
He said Japan welcomes efforts by Malaysia and ASEAN to reduce such barriers through greater regulatory alignment and digitalisation initiatives, as this would encourage more cross-border investments under both RCEP and CPTPP.
Touching on the broader trade landscape, Shikata said Japan remains open to US re-engagement in the CPTPP framework but acknowledged that the decision rests with Washington.
The ambassador said peace and stability remain the foundation of regional trade, citing the situations in Myanmar and the South China Sea as potential risks to supply chains and energy security.
“Peace is fundamental. (For example,) if Petronas explores energy resources and is disrupted, that is bad news from the energy security standpoint,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
