While New Zealand has been focused on the drastic ups and downs of the (CP)TPP free trade deal, another - larger - agreement has been bubbling away in the background.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, RCEP for short, is a proposed free trade deal between the 10 ASEAN members and Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

There have been 23 rounds of negotiations between the RCEP countries since 2012, a protracted process that has frustrated some countries and led to musings that India could withdraw. . . . .>