With President Barack Obama stuck in Washington last week Li Keqiang, China’s premier, used his absence to urge leaders at the East Asia Summit to conclude a regional trade deal that rivals the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“Many East Asian countries use chopsticks. Anyone who uses chopsticks knows it is very hard to eat with one, and that you need a pair. And if you bundle chopsticks together, they are hard to break,” said Mr Li, who added that China would strive to complete the so-called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership by 2015.
Some experts say the failure to attend by Mr Obama – who also missed the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Indonesia – gave the RCEP negotiations a boost over the TPP.
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