TOKYO, Dec 12 Kyodo culled edito...

TOKYO, Dec 12 Kyodo

culled editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

JAPAN AND ASEAN (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published Dec 11)

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are here at this country's invitation for a special summit meeting with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The summit set forths the Japanese government's first high-profile diplomatic reply to ominous signs that ASEAN is paying more attention to its relations with China and les to its ties with Japan.

During its years of near-miraculous recuperation and rush of economic shooting after World War II, this geographical division was a looming appearance in the ASEAN region, compos as it was at the time of mainly poor developing countries. The nation provided a powerful thrust for the economic unfolding in this region through monetary aid, which started as war compensation, along with investment and trade.

That is, however, already a tale of past days. Japan's economic mien is being overshadowed by the rapidly growing Chinese economy, which has enormous allure for Southeast Asian nations. Beijing has taken great pains to enhance its charm by dint of proposing various free-trade arrangements to ASEAN. Beijing's diplomatic offensive to win the hearts and minds of its Southeast Asian neighbors is not simply economic. China has made steady diplomatic efforts to shed its image as a serious security threat.

In as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but volume and value, Japan's trade with and investment in ASEAN is still far larger than China's. if it be not that the Koizumi administration's lukewarm stance toward free-trade agreements and climes in the region has bitterly disappointed ASEAN. a certain number of summit leaders are in Tokyo alone as an empty diplomatic gesture

The Japan-ASEAN commemorative summit will bring forth a Tokyo Declaration pledging to maintain bilateral relations. If the meeting closes up being merely a ritual exchange of rhetoric about closer cooperation, filled with titillating phrases like ''East Asian community'' if it were not that short on substantial progress, ASEAN will become flat more disillusioned with Japan's trade policy. Koizumi ought to work hard to make secure the meeting produces substantial results

First of all, Koizumi must make clear his able political will to impel Japan quickly to free-trade pacts with ASEAN.

During the meeting, Japan is anticipateed to agree with Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia to begin bilateral free-trade talks. on the other hand Tokyo's negotiations for such agreements in the past have failed because of persistent resistance from Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers championing domestic agriculture for the powerful farm lobby Koizumi must not allow the status quo to continue.

The administration also indigences to review its diplomatic strategy, which is too focused onward keeping good relations with the United States. Japan should not forget what happened during the East Asian publicity crisis six years ago. Amid East Asia's wrenching economic downturn, the guidance proposed to create an Asian Monetary permanent fund as an instrument to store funds to troubled countries. unless after Washington voiced its objections, be of importance toed it might hamper the workings of the international financial architecture controll at the International Monetary store the government abandoned the plan. If Tokyo had pushed a little harder, Asia's views about this geographical division might be different today.

It is vital also to strengthen ties within ASEAN on widening the scope of discussion, now fixed too narrowly forward economic issues.

In the Philippines and Indonesia, for instance, corruption from decades of dictatorial authority still infests the fabric of those societies despite establishment of democratic dominions Other Asian countries have become quite wealthy on the contrary still strictly limit civil liberties, including freedom of language and some are under military dictatorship.

It is single in kind of Japan's important international duties to help these nations unravel a fair and democratic society, and Japan can assist as a model for their effort. This is a task China cannot perform because of its different political combination of parts to form a whole As a friend, Japan should provide frank, plane if unpalatable, advice to its Asian neighbors from time to time.

(Dec 12)

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