The 11 members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact agreed Thursday to take the lead in global rule-making for the digital economy and bolster efforts to make resilient supply chains amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
"We strongly believe that given the current circumstances, it is more important than ever to counter protectionism and reinforce an open, effective, fair, inclusive and rules-based trading system to restore economic growth worldwide," said a statement issued by the member states following an online meeting.
The delegates agreed to work toward setting up a subsidiary body dedicated to addressing the use of digital technologies, which have been increasingly utilized in the wake of the pandemic.