The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Story: Negotiating the World's Biggest Free Trade Agreement, offers the first insider's account of the RCEP negotiations, culminating in the signing of the world's largest free trade agreement in November 2020. Bringing together 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States and five Dialogue Partners (Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand), the RCEP covers nearly a third of global GDP and population, reshaping Asia-Pacific economic integration.While economic analyses of RCEP abound, the story of how the agreement was forged — the character, spirit and human dimension of diplomacy — remains untold. This book seeks to fill the gap by documenting not just the milestones but behind-the-scenes efforts: the quiet diplomacy, the challenges of consensus-building, and the persistence required to bridge divides over nearly a decade of negotiations.Edited by Singapore's former Chief Negotiator, with contributions from ASEAN counterparts and the ASEAN Secretariat, the book offers first-hand reflections and narratives from those who lived the process. It captures moments of breakthrough and setback, the resilience shown during the COVID-19 crisis, and the ultimate triumph of regional cooperation despite formidable obstacles.Beyond preserving institutional memory, this book is written for future policymakers, negotiators, scholars, and general readers seeking to understand how ASEAN-led processes work in practice. By sharing stories of perseverance, flexibility and leadership, the RCEP Story provides not just a historical account but enduring lessons in international negotiation and economic diplomacy.