Mahathir skeptical about APEC's commitment<\/p>\n
By Takehiko Kajita<\/p>\n
TOKYO (Kyodo): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
\nremains skeptical of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
\nforum's commitment to sweeping trade liberalization by the year
\n2020, according to a veteran Japanese legislator.<\/p>\n
\"Mr. Mahathir told me that he thinks it would be unacceptable
\nif APEC tried to force a decision on its members in a
\ncomprehensive manner,\" Masajuro Shiokawa, chairman of the
\nExecutive Council of Japan's largest ruling coalition partner,
\nthe Liberal Democratic Party, said in an interview with Kyodo
\nNews Service.<\/p>\n
Shiokawa met Mahathir at his private residence in Kuala Lumpur
\non Sunday night as a special envoy of Prime Minister Tomiichi
\nMurayama. He had been sent to try to persuade the Malaysian
\nleader to attend a summit of APEC's top leaders set for Nov. 19
\nin Osaka.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's cabinet decided Wednesday that Mahathir will
\nparticipate in the APEC summit, to be held after a meeting of
\nforeign and trade ministers Nov. 16-17.<\/p>\n
\"Opinions were divided among cabinet members...But Mr.
\nMahathir must have made his mind up when I called on him,\" said
\nShiokawa, who is known for his close personal ties with the
\noutspoken Malaysian premier.<\/p>\n
Shiokawa, who heads the Japan-Malaysia Association, a
\ngovernment-affiliated organization to promote friendship between
\nthe two countries, also quoted Mahathir as saying APEC should
\ntake into account each member's sensitive trade areas when it
\nseeks free and open trade and investment.<\/p>\n
The 18-member APEC decided at last year's summit in Bogor,
\nIndonesia, to set a trade-freeing deadline in the region -- 2010
\nfor industrialized economies and 2020 for developing economies.<\/p>\n
Mahathir insisted at the time on attaching Malaysia's
\nreservations about the decision in an appendix to the so-called
\n\"Bogor Declaration.\"<\/p>\n
The Malaysian leader had been noncommittal over whether he
\nwould take part in this year's APEC summit to be hosted by
\nMurayama, apparently because of Japan's reluctance to join the
\nproposed East Asian Economic Caucus (EAEC).<\/p>\n
Mahathir floated the original idea of launching the EAEC in
\nDecember 1990. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN) made it a joint proposal in October 1991.<\/p>\n
While brushing aside speculation the EAEC will evolve into a
\nclosed regional trade bloc, Mahathir reiterated his desire to
\nhave Japan join the proposed body, Shiokawa said.<\/p>\n
Japan has been reluctant over the project for fear of
\nantagonizing the United States, which opposes any regional
\neconomic group from which it could be locked out.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian cabinet's decision on Mahathir's participation
\nin the APEC summit in Osaka was partly due to his Malaysia trip
\nand partly due to Tokyo's consultative approach in its
\npreparation for the Osaka talks, Shiokawa said.<\/p>\n
In announcing Mahathir's participation, Malaysia's
\nInternational Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz said
\nWednesday the U.S. and Indonesia made decisions on APEC talks
\nwhen hosting the forums in 1993 and last year respectively
\nwithout much consultation with other members.<\/p>\n
Mahathir boycotted the inaugural APEC summit in Seattle in
\nprotest at what he sees as Washington's attempts to dominate and
\ninstitutionalize APEC.<\/p>\n
But he attended the Bogor meeting last year to keep on good
\nterms with Indonesia and other ASEAN members.<\/p>\n
Shiokawa said Mahathir's pro-Japan policy remains unchanged
\ndespite Japan's negative reaction to his cherished EAEC
\ninitiative.<\/p>\n
\"It may be true the gap between Mr. Mahathir's great
\nexpectations of Japan and Japan's response to them has widened a
\nbit. But his stance on Japan has not changed at all,\" he noted.<\/p>\n
Shiokawa said he admires the way Mahathir \"explicitly says
\nwhat he believes is right.\"<\/p>\n
\"So I want him to state his opinions in his usual style at the
\nsummit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
APEC comprises Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong,
\nJapan, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Korea,
\nTaiwan, the U.S. and six of the seven ASEAN members -- Brunei,
\nIndonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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