Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesIndia's commerce minister rejected the idea of joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest trade deal, maintaining that it is not in the country's interest to be part of a free trade agreement with China.
Negotiations for the RCEP started in 2013 and initially included India, which some members viewed as a counterbalance to China.
However, in 2019, India chose not to join RCEP, citing unresolved "core interest" issues.
Goyal noted that at that time, India already had a free trade agreement with ASEAN, Japan and Korea, as well as a bilateral trade with New Zealand worth $300 million.
"It was not in our farmers' interest, RCEP did not reflect the aspirations of our small and micro medium industries and sector, and in some form, was nothing but a free trade agreement with China," he said.
Persons:
Industry Piyush Goyal, CNBC's Tanvir Gill, Goyal, RCEP
Organizations:
Anadolu, Getty, Regional Comprehensive Economic, ASEAN, Commerce, Industry, —, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, RCEP, New Zealand, Trade, Semiconductor
Locations:
China, India, Asia, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Korea