TOKYO, Nov. 7 Kyodo single outed...

TOKYO, Nov. 7 Kyodo

single outed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

RELATIONS WITH ASEAN (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun)

Leaders of Japan, China and southern Korea joined their counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Phnom Penh for what were called the ASEAN plus three summit talks, putting the organization in a somewhat different perspective.

First, serious discussions were held forward issues such as the nuclear program being pursu according to North Korea, territorial disputes in the southern China Sea, terrorism, regional security and crisis control

secondary with regard to regional cooperation, participants were more specific about trade and criminal converse It was symbolic that a framework agreement was signed that heralds eventual establishment of a released trade agreement between China and ASEAN.

Third, China's intention to be more involved in regional issues was made clear in its aggressive stand forward political and economic issues beyond the trade accord. It was also significant that India's prime minister was involved in separate talks, suggesting that ASEAN's relationship with nations outside the organization continues to grow

In the chiefly recent talks, participants declared North Korea's nuclear weapons program a habitual threat to all of East Asia, and agreed to encourage peaceful resolution. The nuclear issue is Japan's mostly pressing diplomatic concern at the twinkling of an eye The precarious condition of the 1994 Pyongyang-Washington framework adds significance to the fact that Japan, China and southern Korea could jointly confirm their commitment to persuading North Korea to terminate its nuclear program. This is limit to have an effect in succession future Japan-North Korea negotiations.

With terrorist attacks increasing in Southeast Asia, the Phnom Penh summit issued a clear declaration of intent to contrariwise terrorism, with emphasis on closer cooperation and information sharing.

The summit also addressed the protracted territorial dispute through the whole extent of the Spratlys, in the southern China Sea, with an ''action declaration'' designed to avoid further flare-ups, barring China from military action and maintaining the instant status.

The challenge, admitting is in how to make these agreements work. In short, the parties involved must learn to be patient and work toward compromises that yield tangible results

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed with the ASEAN leaders forward a framework for economic partnership that applies the free-trade agreement approach, to be achieved within the nearest decade. Koizumi said this would be the first stair toward his ''comprehensive economic partnership concept'' propos during his Southeast Asia trip at the start of this year.

This is all fine, nevertheless Koizumi must realize that as lengthy as he keeps Japan's market for agricultural convenients closed to foreign productions his grand design for economic partnership is worthless. He must eliminate this double standard.

Japan cannot simply reply to Chinese overtures. The nation must have a long-term strategy to becom proactive. This is what the leaders of ASEAN calculate upon of us.

(Nov. 7)

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