The free trade agreement will have the largest impact based on population and on region-wide GDP of any other trade grouping among all free trade areas! East Asia and Pacific-wide free trade area. Geographically, it is important to place it as an East “Asia and Pacific”-wide area. Europe was the center, the Americas were in the west of it, and Asia east of it. Some decades ago, East Asia was still called “the Far East” and today’s Middle East, “the Near East.” East Asia was “far” and the Middle East “near” Europe.)

Source: Philippine Star November 17, 2020 16:18 UTC