Part 2 of 2: Japan strives to maintain, develop partnership with Asia

Part 2 of 2: Japan strives to maintain, develop partnership with Asia

Ichiro Fujisaki, Japanese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jakarta

ASEAN has been a source of stability and prosperity for more
than three decades. It has successfully been adjusting to
challenges such as its own expansion and the Asian financial
crisis.

Japan is planning to fortify its ties and develop a new
partnership with ASEAN as signed in Bali this year. In less than
a week, we will have Japan-ASEAN (30-years) Commemorative Summit
in Tokyo. The outcome is expected to be a historic one. ASEAN-
Japan Basic Document and ASEAN-Japan Joint Action Plan are
expected to be adopted. What is important is although it is a new
partnership, it will be built on a long-tested and ever-firm
ground which the two sides have cooperated to foster.

In any of East Asian communities to be developed in the coming
years, ASEAN will have a key role. Japan-ASEAN ties mentioned
above will also constitute an indispensable basis. Regional
frameworks beyond ASEAN need to be developed in a balanced way.
PMC, ASEAN+3, APEC and ARF should all be fortified. They should
not be exclusive of each other.

Instead, they should be developed complementing each other.
These regional dialogues or mechanisms should be as open as
possible to non-members. Especially those who have been
contributing to peace and prosperity in this region. You-come-
only-when-we-call-you approach will not work. Japan sees these
various fora as building blocks of a "community that acts
together and advances together".

In this course, we may add more political agenda in APEC
process, or advance the ARF process beyond confidence building
and into preventive diplomacy. We may further our cooperation in
the economic field through ASEAN+3. CSCAP can support these
processes as established and very effective second track.

Now, let us turn to international organizations.

The UN role in the region has been significant. The PKO in
Cambodia and East Timor were a notable success.

We owe much of our development so far to the free and fair
multilateral regime based on WTO. In multilateral mechanism, any
country has to abide by the rules. We have seen such a case very
recently and were very much reassured of the value of such
mechanisms. We all wholeheartedly welcome the recent accession of
China and Taiwan to the WTO. APEC proved its importance when,
against expectations of the outside world, it agreed in Bangkok
that we re-launch negotiations as soon as possible from where we
had left off in Cancun this September.

Yes, we do promote an "Initiative for Japan-ASEAN
Comprehensive Economic Partnership". But, FTAs should remain as
complementing WTO. Not replacing it. Japan does not take a
position that if WTO does not advance, we will have FTAs. We have
to avoid the situation where regional blocs and protectionism
prevail.

Multilateralism is one of the major products and asset of the
last half century. At times, it seems insufficient or too slow to
arrive at conclusions. But, in the end, it should work. Rules are
Rules. We all have to strive to hold up this banner of
multilateralism.

As I stated, Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed remarkable peace
and prosperity. U.S. presence in the region has effectively
supported this. This will remain so in the foreseeable future.
The U.S. is currently reviewing its overseas forces. I am
convinced that this will not undermine its capability and that
there will be proper consultations with partners.

Japan-U.S. Security Arrangements together with Republic of
Korea-U.S. Security Arrangements have played the most significant
role in securing U.S. presence. Signs of deepening security
cooperation between the U.S. and countries in the region should
be welcomed. Singapore started to accept U.S. navy vessels to its
navy base and concluded ACSA. The Philippines and Thailand are
conducting large-scale joint exercises with the U.S.

In short, maintaining and fortifying the present structure
becomes the key in this area as well. On the basis of such
notion, we should tackle newly arising regional and global
issues.

Korean Peninsula is a traditional "hot spot" in the region and
also carries aspects of new challenges, namely WMD. The Six-Party
Talks started thanks to the Chinese government's constructive
efforts. Japan will work closely with other parties to realize
the next round of the Talks and make substantial achievement
towards solution of the problem in the Talks. I would like to
express our appreciation for the understanding and support
demonstrated by the international community on the issue of
abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea.

Counter-terrorism cooperation requires internationally
concerted response. The case of Afghanistan shows that we cannot
afford to have one country lagging behind in such international
efforts. We are trying to close loopholes and to reinforce weak
links.

This is done through harmonization of national regulations,
capacity building, and cooperation between law enforcement
agencies and customs. I welcome the fact that regional
cooperation in counter-terrorism is vigorously promoted through
such frameworks as ARF and APEC. It is to be noted that economic
agenda including eradication of poverty would serve to suppress
or restrain terrorist activities from a different angle.

Reconstruction of Iraq is now a challenge to international
community as a whole. We simply cannot afford to fail. The best
way to deal with such acts of terrorism is to make concerted
efforts in both ensuring security and assisting reconstruction.

This article is based on an abbreviated text of a luncheon
speech delivered at the Conference on Security Cooperation in
Asia Pacific (CSCAP) recently held in Jakarta.