Japan's double track policy pays<\/p>\n
By Eiichi Furukawa<\/p>\n
TOKYO (JP): It has been five years since Malaysian Prime
\nMinister Mahathir Mohamad proposed the formation of an East Asia
\nEconomic Caucus (EAEC), a group comprised of the seven member of
\nASEAN countries and China, Japan and Korea.<\/p>\n
Having received vehement objection from the United States and
\nAustralia, the proposal has not taken off until today. On the
\nother hand, neither has the idea faded away or died down as
\nexpected by the Americans and Australians. Instead, the idea
\npersisted, and gradually gained strength in the past one and half
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Bush administration, the Clinton administration,
\ninitially took a soft approach to EAEC and stated that it did not
\noppose it. However, in June 1994, it again stepped back from the
\nposition and communicated its opposition to EAEC to the Japanese
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Then, the Japanese government decided to take a double track
\npolicy. First, it announced its formal position saying that in
\norder to establish EAEC, it is necessary to obtain the
\nunderstanding and blessings of the United States and Australia.
\nSince the two countries were not expected easily to withdraw
\ntheir objection, it was thought unlikely that the EAEC would take
\noff for a considerable time to come.<\/p>\n
Secondly, the Japanese government decided to participate in
\ninformal meetings of the East Asian countries when invited. It
\nwas for the purpose of taking time, and to gradually build up a
\ngroup of East Asian countries.<\/p>\n
Soon after came an invitation from the ASEAN side to attend a
\nluncheon meeting to be held in Bangkok on the occasion of the
\npost-ministerial conference of the ASEAN foreign ministers
\nmeeting on July 25, 1994. The invitation was accepted and Foreign
\nMinister Kono attended a so-called informal working luncheon
\nwhich was attended by the foreign ministers of the six ASEAN
\nmember countries and China, Japan and Korea. The embassy
\nofficials of the United States and Australia in Tokyo went to the
\nJapanese foreign ministry soon after the meeting and inquired
\nabout the meeting. It was explained that the meeting was simply
\nan informal get-together meeting and had nothing to do with the
\nEAEC. The embassy officials were satisfied with the explanation
\nand did not make much fuss over the meeting.<\/p>\n
Following the naming of the meeting of G-7 finance ministers
\nand central bank governors, ASEAN named the group as a 6+3
\nmeeting which was changed to a 7+3 meeting in July last year when
\nVietnam joined ASEAN. The second meeting of 7+3 foreign ministers
\nwas held in Brunei on July 31 last year again on the occasion of
\nthe post-ministerial conference of the ASEAN foreign ministers
\nmeeting. Subsequently, on Nov. 19, 1995, during the APEC summit
\nmeeting in Osaka, a 7+3 Economic Ministers meeting was held by
\nthe proposal of the then Japanese International Trade and
\nIndustry Minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto (now Prime Minister). As a
\nresult of the above meetings, a group of 7+3 was established
\nwithout much ado but by not calling it as a group of the EAEC.<\/p>\n
During the period, no objection was echoed against the group
\nof 7+3 meetings while the voice objecting to the EAEC was
\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
The purpose of gradualism and creeping tactic was thereby
\nachieved.<\/p>\n
When an Asia-Europe summit meeting was planned, the
\nparticipants of the European side were decided to be the EU
\nmembers. There is no such a group in East Asia except the 7+3
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
It was then naturally decided by ASEAN that the participants
\nof the Asian side be the members of group of 7+3. The purpose of
\nEAEC originally proposed by Mahathir was to gain a voice of the
\nEast Asian countries at various international fora.<\/p>\n
The Asia Europe summit will be the first occasion for the
\ngroup to perform such functions. Three official level meetings
\nhave been held for the preparation of the meeting and two
\nministerial meetings are scheduled for February. New Foreign
\nMinister Ikeda is planning to attend the 7+3 foreign ministers
\nmeeting scheduled in Phuket in South Thailand if the Diet
\nschedule allows him to make a foreign trip. A meeting of 7+3
\neconomic ministers may be held later in the month.<\/p>\n
At the meeting of the ASEAN heads of government or summit
\nmeeting held in Bangkok on Dec. 14-15 last year, Prime Minister
\nGoh Chok Tong of Singapore proposed to hold a meeting of 7+3 East
\nAsian leaders. The meeting agreed to the proposal in principle
\nand hold it in December this year in Indonesia. Prime Minister
\nGoh further proposed to hold an East Asia 7+3 ministerial
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
The proposal was accepted, and it was decided to hold it in
\nJune in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the question of supporting and
\nassisting the overall economic development of the countries in
\nthe Greater Mekong River region which is made up of Cambodia,
\nLaos, Myanmar and the Yunan province of China. Receiving the keen
\ninterest of the foreign ministry and MITI in the development of
\nthe Greater Mekong River Region, it is considered that the
\nJapanese government will be most likely to participate in the
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
It will be the first time for the group of 7+3 to hold a
\nformal meeting without other parties, and an East Asian group or
\nEAEC will be formalized at the meeting.<\/p>\n
In December last year, the Japanese Ambassador in Malaysia
\nannounced that a symposium of the non-governmental experts of 7+3
\ncountries would be held in Kuala Lumpur in March this year. The
\nsymposium will be organized jointly by the Japan Institute of
\nInternational Affairs (JIIA) and the Malaysian Institute of
\nStrategic and International Studies (ISIS). JIIA is a think-tank
\narm of the Japanese Foreign Ministry while ISIS is that of the
\nMalaysian Government. The symposium is therefore considered to be
\nheld on behalf of two governments concerned heralding the formal
\ngovernment actions to be taken subsequently.<\/p>\n
As regards the U.S. government, it already withdrew its
\nobjection to EAEC. In May last year, Assistant Secretary Winston
\nLord of the state department said that \"the U.S. is trying to
\napproach EAEC in a spirit of cooperation, and it is up to Japan
\nto decide which meeting Japan wants to attend.\"<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Australia and New Zealand are not invited
\nto the June meeting since it is a meeting of East Asian
\ncountries. At the same time, Australia may not wish to attend the
\nmeeting since it is taking a position to oppose the extension of
\nassistance to the military regime of Myanmar and the government
\nof Cambodia controlled by second Prime Minister Hun Sen of the
\nPeople's Party.<\/p>\n
Five years after the proposal of Mahathir, a group of East
\nAsian countries will take off formally some time this year if not
\nin the name of EAEC.<\/p>\n
The writer is executive director of the Japan Center for
\nInternational Strategies, Tokyo.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/japans-double-track-policy-pays-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}