Japan sould take the lead to ensure regional stability<\/p>\n
The Daily Yomiuri, Asia News Network, Tokyo<\/p>\n
Japan has maintained close relations with the founding members
\nof the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- the
\nPhilippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is scheduled to
\nleave for a weeklong tour of the five ASEAN nations.<\/p>\n
The international political landscape has been undergoing
\ngreat changes since the terrorist attack on the United States on
\nSept. 11, as shown by a newly formed antiterrorism alliance among
\nthree military powers -- the United States, Russia and China.<\/p>\n
In this sense, it is a critically important task for Japan to
\nshore up its relationship with Southeast Asian nations in mapping
\nout a diplomatic strategy. The significance of Koizumi's ASEAN
\ntour lies in this.<\/p>\n
Japan should take the lead in working to ensure regional peace
\nand prosperity as an Asian leader. To accomplish this goal, this
\ncountry must further increase its cooperative ties with the ASEAN
\ncountries in security, economic and other areas, while also
\nbasing its diplomatic strategy on its alliance with the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
The prime minister's itinerary includes separate talks with
\nthe leaders of the five nations. On Monday, Koizumi is also
\nscheduled to deliver a speech about Japan's diplomatic policy
\ntoward other Asian countries.<\/p>\n
During these meetings, the prime minister will call for
\nefforts to step up relations between Japan and the ASEAN nations,
\nlargely by listing three goals -- reforms and prosperity,
\ncooperation in ensuring stability and coordinated efforts to
\nbuild a better future in the region.<\/p>\n
To accomplish reforms and prosperity, Koizumi will ask the
\nfive ASEAN countries to back Japan's structural reform campaign
\nand in turn will pledge to support their reform efforts. To
\npromote cooperation in ensuring regional stability, the prime
\nminister will promise to aid the ASEAN nations in their efforts
\nto resolve the host of problems afflicting them, including ethnic
\nconflicts, movements of refugees, drug trafficking and infectious
\ndiseases.<\/p>\n
Koizumi is also scheduled to tell the ASEAN leaders that Japan
\nwill support their struggle to better educate their peoples and
\ndevelop human resources, with the aim of jointly working to build
\na better future in the region.<\/p>\n
His planned address on Japan's diplomatic policy toward ASEAN
\nwill stress the importance of building mutual trust among nations
\nin this region. Koizumi also hopes to emphasize the need to
\nestablish a new cooperative relationship among these countries on
\nthe basis of the Fukuda Doctrine, a set of guiding principles
\nlaid down in 1977 by then Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda in Manila
\nconcerning Japan's diplomatic policy toward other Asian nations.
\nEconomic recovery a sine qua non<\/p>\n
We hope that Koizumi's speech will set forth a constructive
\nand well-founded blueprint for Japan's new partnership with the
\nASEAN nations.<\/p>\n
Among other things, the prime minister should reiterate his
\ndetermination to bring his country's economy back on the road to
\nrecovery to promote reforms and achieve prosperity in the region.
\nJapan -- a nation whose economy is coming close to a deflationary
\nspiral -- could threaten the world economy. This is particularly
\nsignificant in that the global economy is increasingly weakening
\nin the wake of Sept. 11.<\/p>\n
The prime minister should tell the ASEAN leaders what his
\nadministration will do to end the recession as soon as possible
\nand put the economy back on track, a move that would serve to
\nrevitalize the Asian economy as a whole. This will be essential
\nto put to rest concerns held by the ASEAN nations about the
\nJapanese economy.<\/p>\n
China will be an invisible but prominent guest in Japan's
\nupcoming talks with the ASEAN countries. It is a matter of prime
\nimportance for both Japan and ASEAN to think about what kind of
\nrelationship they should build with China, a nation that has
\nemerged as a new power in Asia on the strength of its rapid
\neconomic growth.<\/p>\n
While they are watching its vast market with keen interest,
\nthe ASEAN countries remain wary about China. This gives Japan
\ngood reason to play a key role in determining what kind of
\nrelationship Japan and the ASEAN nations should establish with
\nChina.<\/p>\n
Given all this, it is important for the prime minister to tell
\nthe ASEAN leaders that Japan is prepared to form new ties with
\ntheir nations that could include an accord on comprehensive
\neconomic partnership with ASEAN as a whole, beginning with a free
\ntrade agreement to be signed with Singapore soon.<\/p>",
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