East Asian Community formed<\/p>\n
Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post, Tokyo<\/p>\n
Southeast Asian countries and Japan agreed on Friday to work
\ntogether toward the creation of the East Asian Community which
\nwill also cover China and South Korea.<\/p>\n
The leaders played down suggestions that the Community, aimed
\nat enhancing prosperity and security, was a strategy to counter
\nthe rising influence of China.<\/p>\n
The 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN) and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, however,
\nrefrained from setting a clear target to realize their vision.<\/p>\n
Koizumi himself acknowledged that the agricultural sector
\nwould become a delicate issue between his country and ASEAN.<\/p>\n
Japan has also pledged US$3 billion in aid to ASEAN for human
\nresources development and to develop areas along the Mekong River
\nover the next three years. The Greater Mekong Subregion
\ndevelopment will link the southern Chinese city of Kunming to
\nCambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
The 11 leaders signed documents on a plan for the Community,
\nan Asian version of the European Union, in the "Tokyo Declaration
\nfor the Dynamic and Enduring ASEAN-Japan Partnership in the New
\nMillennium" and in the ASEAN-Japan plan of action.<\/p>\n
Japan also signed a declaration of intent to sign a regional
\nnon-aggression pact, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. ASEAN
\nexpects it to be signed in mid next year. Japan had declined to
\nsign it two months ago at the ASEAN Summit in Bali. Koizumi said
\nJapan's commitment to ASEAN remained unchanged regardless of the
\nTreaty but admitted Southeast Asian neighbors had urged Japan to
\nfollow in the steps of China and India to join the pact.<\/p>\n
In a joint press conference hosted by Koizumi and President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri as cochairpersons of the summit, the Prime
\nMinister said the summit had laid a strong foundation for ASEAN
\nand Japan to step up the region's prosperity and security.<\/p>\n
"There are more than 100 concrete measures in economic and
\ndevelopment areas, political and security and social and cultural
\nareas," Koizumi said.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who confidently addressed the international media,
\nreiterated that Japan has been and would continue to be the most
\nimportant partner for ASEAN. The leaders also reiterated their
\ndetermination to combat international terrorism, which
\nMegawati said has "posed a deadly threat to regional security".<\/p>\n
Both Megawati and Koizumi played down criticism that Japan's
\nambition to take a front-line role in the East Asian Community
\nplan was more a strategy to counter China's rapidly increasing
\ninfluence in Asia.<\/p>\n
"Both ASEAN and Japan relations, and China-ASEAN relations,
\nare for the good of East Asia in general," the President said.<\/p>\n
Koizumi said China's progress would benefit not only Japan but
\nthe region as a whole. "China should not be taken as a threat,
\nbut rather be taken as an opportunity for Japan," he noted.<\/p>\n
When asked about the nuclear crisis in the Korean
\nPeninsula, Megawati replied that her special envoy Nana Sutresna
\nwas currently on a diplomatic mission to Pyongyang and Beijing in
\nher efforts to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to return
\nto the negotiation table. Indonesia had offered to mediate in the
\ncrisis, given its long-term diplomatic ties with the communist
\nstate.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia is of the view that differences should be addressed
\nin order to find ways to eliminate differences, so that in the
\nend we can find an agreement to achieve peace in this region,"
\nsaid Megawati.<\/p>\n
Megawati added she hoped the next round of talks on the issue
\nwould be held as soon as possible following the talks in Beijing
\nin August. This will involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia
\nand the United States. Hopes for new talks were dashed on
\nWednesday when U.S. President George W. Bush rejected offers from
\nNorth Korea for a nuclear freeze, in return for major
\nconcessions.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-asian-community-formed-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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