RCEP likely on Narendra Modi’s agenda at BRICS meet

NEW DELHI: India’s decision to stay away from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in its current form and measures to repair Sino-Indian trade deficit could be on the agenda of a possible Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the November 13-14 BRICS Summit in Brasilia.

China is keen to include India in RCEP for its huge market opportunities, and since India decided against joining at Bangkok, it has been pushing for favourable climate for New Delhi to join the block. The issue could be on the agenda when the two leaders meet in Brasilia days after the RCEP summit in Bangkok.

This will be fourth meeting between Modi and Xi in 2019 aimed at giving direction at the leadership level to bilateral ties.


In their informal summit at Mamallapuram, Modi told Xi that India looks forward to RCEP but it is important that a balance is maintained between trade in goods, services and investment.

And Xi had noted this and China assured that Indian concerns would be taken into account. There are speculations that the India-China mechanism to discuss trade, investment and services could also have RCEP on its agenda.