Hatoyama unveils hopes of harnessing East Asian might
ASEAN
Pichai Chuensuksawadi
Oct 25, 2009
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Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama arrived in Thailand yesterday to attend the 15th Asean Summit. In an interview with Pichai Chuensuksawadi, he describes his vision for an East Asian community and the role of Asean. This is an edited transcript of their conversation.

At the United Nations you announced that "New Japan" would be more proactive and act as a "bridge" towards regional integration, towards building an East Asian community - one of five key challenges of your administration. Why did you choose a single Asian currency as the starting point? Can your articulate further what other steps should be taken that would facilitate movement towards an East Asian community?

I very much appreciate the high level of interest shown in the East Asia community initiative. I am not saying that an East Asia community is something that can be realised overnight. But I think it has a medium-, longer-term objective. It would be meaningful for us to have the aspiration that East Asia is going to lead the world and with the various countries with different regimes co-operating with each other towards that perspective. In the long term, I think it would be significant to have a common currency. But before arriving at a common currency, it is important that we further advance economic initiatives amongst the countries, engage in co-operation regarding education. Countries in the region are also affected by disasters from time to time, so co-operation in fighting disasters would be meaningful as well. With regard to international environmental issues - climate change - I think it is very meaningful that we are co-operating on these various issues.

You have said that in the not-too-distant future the Chinese economy would surpass that of Japan. At the same time, US influence is on the decline, although it will still be a dominant force for the next two to three decades. Could you please outline in greater detail how you see Japan taking a more proactive role in the region wedged between the US and China under the scenario you described?

The new administration considers that the Japan-US alliance remains the fundamental cornerstone. At the same time, Japan is an Asian country and we need to further strengthen our relationship and trust with Asia and for that to happen we need to further step up co-ordination and co-operation with East Asian countries. Doubtless China, and especially its economy, will grow further but I do not necessarily regard that as a threat. Rather, I believe that it is important to create a climate and environment, through mutual co-operation for Japan and China, to co-operate in the interests of the entire East Asia economy. So Asean countries really are at the centre of East Asia. I really believe we should engage in mutual co-operation of the development of the Mekong region. In fact, Japan will be organising a Japan-Mekong summit meeting next month.

In the last three decades, Japan has been the major foreign investor and key driver of economic development in Asean, including Thailand. However, China has emerged as a competitor of Asean economies, as well as a market for its products. How do you see Japan's role in the future in assisting Asean members in boosting their competitiveness, in the transfer of technology in crucial industries, such as the car industry in Thailand?

Needless to say that we believe that the growth of the Asean region is essential for international peace and development. And in this regard, I believe Japan has a major role to play especially amongst Asean countries [as] there are regional disparities, gaps, which need to be redressed. I believe we need to step up the growth potential of the countries of Asean. And to do that I believe the key is domestic demand, how to grow domestic demand in each of these countries. I believe one specific example is infrastructure development and in fact there is already work under way, a major project in the East-West corridor. I believe it is very important to develop infrastructure such as roads, ports, harbours and railroads. It is important to promote SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] in Asean countries and of course in connection with that it would be important to further promote trade and investment with countries outside Asean, for example, Japan. I think it is important to improve the investment climate and if we look at the financial environment issues which I have referred to already, it is important that we co-operate in addressing the climate change issue. And Japan is quite willing to engage in holistic co-operation.

Pichai Chuensuksawadi is editor-in-chief of the Bangkok Post

ORIENTAL VICTORY



/sarcasm off

East Asia =/= Oceania =/= Southeast Asia =/= South Asia

I do like japan initiative hopefully they are sincere this time, I do whatever I could to support them, I switch my shampoo and soap and bought japanese one even though it's expensive, hopefully they work it out with chinese and reduce the coast

It would be nice to see in my life time China, Japan, Korea and SEA all work together and prosper.

Would Japan have ruled over China instead of Mao Zedong, East Asia would have been the richest region in the world already.

I think discussions about 'if someone ruled over someone' are pointless because no one knows what could have been if such and such happened. Some might argue your scenario would have been ten times worsted for China. No one knows. yet, these types of topics can and often do raise negative feelings. The real focus is not to rule over anybody, but to learn to work with each other.

I hope so. There are still deep divisions due to politics, history, and social systems, but I am hoping forward-thinking leaders like Hatoyama will become more common in all Asian countries. I hope we can look beyond our rivalries and look to mutually benefit each other.

I truly believe the 21st century is Asia's century.