Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): Evaluation of Trade Relations Between Member Countries Using the Social Network Analysis Method

Year 2023, Volume: 5 Issue: 4, 259 - 271, 30.12.2023

Fatma Gül Altın , Mervin Yalçınkaya

https://doi.org/10.54821/uiecd.1395797

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement was signed in 2020 as a giant free trade agreement signed by 15 countries, including China. In this context, the RCEP agreement is the world's largest free trade agreement in terms of GDP and trade volume. In this study, commercial relations between RCEP countries between 2012 (the year when negotiations of the RCEP agreement began) and 2021 were examined using social network analysis. In the analyses, export values of RCEP countries to each other were used and the data were obtained from Trade Map. In the study, social network analyzes for the years 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021 were analyzed using the Ucinet program, while trade networks were visualized with the Gephi program. For social network analyses, basic ego network indicators, degree centrality values, hub and authority centrality values and eigenvector values were calculated. As a result of the analysis, it is seen that the hub and authority country in trade between RCEP countries is China for all four years (2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021). On the other hand, it has been determined that China's most important trade partners are Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the development in Vietnam's trade level during this period is remarkable.

Keywords

RCEP, Social Network Analysis, International Trade

Bölgesel Kapsamlı Ekonomik Ortaklık (RCEP): Üye Ülkeler Arasındaki Ticari İlişkilerin Sosyal Ağ Analizi Yöntemi İle Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Bölgesel Kapsamlı Ekonomik Ortaklık (RCEP) anlaşması, Çin’in de aralarında bulunduğu 15 ülkenin taraf olduğu dev bir serbest ticaret anlaşması olarak 2020 yılında imzalanmıştır. Bu bağlamda, RCEP anlaşması GSYİH ve ticaret hacmi açısından dünyanın en büyük serbest ticaret anlaşmasıdır. Bu çalışmada, 2012 (RCEP anlaşmasının müzakerelerinin başladığı yıl) ile 2021 yılları arasındaki RCEP ülkeleri arasındaki ticari ilişkiler sosyal ağ analizi kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Analizlerde, RCEP ülkelerinin birbirlerine yaptıkları ihracat değerleri kullanılmış ve veriler Trade Map'ten elde edilmiştir. Çalışmada, 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021 yıllarına ilişkin sosyal ağ analizleri Ucinet programı kullanılarak analiz edilirken, Gephi programıyla ticaret ağları görselleştirilmiştir. Sosyal ağ analizleri için temel ego ağ göstergeleri, derece merkeziliği değerleri, odak ve otorite merkeziliği değerleri ve özvektör değerleri hesaplanmıştır. Analizler sonucunda RCEP ülkeleri arasında yapılan ticarette odak ve otorite konumunda olan ülkenin dört yıl (2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021) için de Çin olduğu görülmektedir. Öte yandan Çin’in en önemli ticaret ortaklarının Japonya ve Güney Kore olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca, Vietnam’ın bu dönemde ticaret düzeyindeki gelişme dikkat çekicidir

Keywords

RCEP, Sosyal Ağ Analizi, Uluslararası Ticaret

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