Japan divided over EAEC

Japan divided over EAEC

TOKYO (AFP): Japan's leading business group is unlikely to
reach a consensus on whether to endorse Malaysia's controversial
plan for an East Asian Economic Caucus (EAEC) over the next few
months, a spokesman said yesterday.

The spokesman for Japan Federation of Economic Organizations
(Keidanren) said chairman Shoichiro Toyoda was therefore not
likely to announce the group's support for the EAEC plan during a
visit to Southeast Asia next month.

Toyoda, who is also chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., is heading
a trade mission to Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam from Feb. 15,
but the Keidanren is unlikely to reach a consensus before then,
the spokesman said.

He added that any consensus baton Keidanren members would
probably have to wait until after a second Japanese trade mission
returns from a tour of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the
Philippines in April.