Top trade officials from 16 Asia-Pacific countries have agreed to aim for a deal on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, by the end of this year.<br /> In a joint statement released on Sunday after a meeting in Tokyo, the representatives agreed to speed up negotiations on outstanding issues.<br />They said achieving a trade pact is particularly important in view of the current global trade environment, which faces risks from unilateral trade actions and reactions. <br />The proposed deal covers 30 percent of global trade.<br />The participating countries include South Korea, China, Japan and ten ASEAN member nations. <br />
