Really fun read, very well-researched. You presented such a well-balanced argument, but I'm a little confused: Does India WANT to be a part of the RCEP?
I understand that there's a free trade faction and a protectionist one, and I see your point that, long-term, we need to part of such FTAs if we want to progress. But overall, do the people in-charge genuinely WANT to be a part of this new bloc if there are so many short-term disadvantages?
If we do, why isn't the government making concessions in NTB if it's in our favor to do so in the long-run? Are they playing hardball because they think they can enter the bloc later under better terms?
India wouldn't be a negotiating partner for so many years if it didn't want in. A lot of the clauses India wanted in were simply akin to NTBs and other barriers which didn't make much sense. India has had these problems with other countries like the USA as well. The current government has been part of over 20 rounds of RCEP negotiations since 2014 - something which wouldn't have gone this far if there was no willingness to be part of the agreement in the first place.
Really fun read, very well-researched. You presented such a well-balanced argument, but I'm a little confused: Does India WANT to be a part of the RCEP?
I understand that there's a free trade faction and a protectionist one, and I see your point that, long-term, we need to part of such FTAs if we want to progress. But overall, do the people in-charge genuinely WANT to be a part of this new bloc if there are so many short-term disadvantages?
If we do, why isn't the government making concessions in NTB if it's in our favor to do so in the long-run? Are they playing hardball because they think they can enter the bloc later under better terms?
India wouldn't be a negotiating partner for so many years if it didn't want in. A lot of the clauses India wanted in were simply akin to NTBs and other barriers which didn't make much sense. India has had these problems with other countries like the USA as well. The current government has been part of over 20 rounds of RCEP negotiations since 2014 - something which wouldn't have gone this far if there was no willingness to be part of the agreement in the first place.