THE RCEP E-COMMERCE CHAPTER: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY

The paper analyses the e-commerce chapter of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) from the perspective of the ASEAN Economic Community. Part One traces the RCEP origins, evolution and interim results. Part Two is focuses on the provisions of Chapter Twelve that outlines the RCEP e-commerce-related parameters of cooperation. Arguably, their most salient features suggest that China may well use them to its best advantage by synergizing the RCEP institutional mechanisms with its mega-strategy the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Part Three assesses the impact of the RCEP e-commerce chapter on the Association, most importantly, on the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community 2025. The author argues that for the association the RCEP e-commerce provisions can be a point of vulnerability rather than a reason for optimism, as ASEAN’s spectrum of the AECrelated instruments may narrow. By adapting the digital transformation to the ASEAN context, the paper takes a step forward in increasing knowledge on ASEAN evolution amidst the current global trends. In light of this, the paper contributes to the existing research on ASEAN and ASEAN-led multilateralism, as the implications of the RCEP e-commerce component have not yet been analyzed from an AEC perspective. The findings and assessments of the paper are of both academic and practical significance.