Called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), it was signed by 15 Asia-Pacific countries and formally entered into force on January 01. In all, it encompasses about a third of the world’s population and is seen as a geopolitical victory for China in trade liberalisation, despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. In practice, it creates a free trade zone, covering China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia and ten other Southeast Asian economies (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei). The RCEP covers more than 30% of the world’s population and produced wealth.