China may drive multilateral digital trade framework
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Significance DEPA was concluded by its founding members -- Singapore, New Zealand and Chile -- in 2020. South Korea applied to participate in June this year. Canada has expressed interest. China's accession would greatly raise its profile, but creates difficulties both for existing members and for Beijing. Impacts Other countries may take DEPA more seriously as a result of China's application. The United States and the EU may be spurred to devote greater attention to global digital trade integration. China's fundamentally sovereignty-based approach to data is unlikely to change.