MANILA -- Leaders of the 16 nations negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a proposed Asia-Pacific free trade deal, resolved on Tuesday to conclude the talks within 2018. The plan had been to finalize a deal this year.
"I am optimistic that our meeting will give the negotiations that much needed political momentum" to steer RCEP to completion, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who chaired the latest talks in Manila, told his counterparts in his opening remarks.
