A new trading agreement will be formed no later than 1 second after midnight, January 1 2000. The agreement need only be signed but not ratified by any of the member countries by that date and time. India, China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. There are no restrictions on the number or location of any other countries that might join. However, the block of original members would hold a majority influence in any organization. Any other joining members would be held to a junior membership role. There are no restrictions on the member nations, of previous or current affiliations in other trade organizations or agreements. Any agreement would also restrict the terms of the pact to the signers of the agreement. Any new countries formed within the specified time, and in the current borders of the listed member nations should be considered seperate nations and invalid from the listed members.
FAQ The creator of this claim could not be reached by the email address given above. The judge will follow what he believes to be the intent of the claim, staying close to the wording when in doubt. Judgement will be based on information available from popular newsmedia.
FAQ This claim requires signatures from all 9 countries listed in order to be judged true. If any of the 9 countries ceases to exist before a trade agreement is signed the claim will be judged false.
FAQ The agreement in question has to be a trade agreement in essence. Primarily cultural or predominantly military agreements do not qualify.
FAQ The Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was planned in 1989 and organized itself 1991-11-14. Conclusion: APEC does not qualify, since it existed at claim creation date and therefore cannot be called "new".