JAPAN
JAPAN
Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo, Nov. 14: As the year-end approaches, so too does a season of East Asian diplomacy. First off, Japanese and American leaders will meet in Kyoto on Nov. 16, then the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is scheduled to open at Pusan on Nov. 18. The middle of December will see both a WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong and an East Asian summit in Kuala Lumpur.
What roles will Japan, the United States, China and other countries play in such important diplomatic arenas? Their strategies toward other Asian countries will be put to the test. And Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi no doubt yearns to make a comeback in his Asian diplomacy, which many experts say is his weakest point.
It is said that the 21st century will be the Asian century. Japan's presence, meanwhile, is hardly felt. As the rift between it and the rest of Asia widens, Japan cannot currently hope to take the leadership in Asian diplomacy.
So what should Koizumi do to convey a strong message that Japan is the cornerstone of regional development?
Rice market
For starters, Japan should commit itself to further opening up its markets, such as the rice market, and providing economic and technical cooperation on environmental issues.
It should also promise to extend medical assistance relating to avian influenza, and lend a helping hand to improve the standard of living in poorer Asian countries.
At the same time, it should emphasize the image and values of a Japan that is free both politically and culturally.
In all of this, APEC's basic philosophy of "open regionalism" will be the key to turning the diplomatic moves of Japan, the United States and China into a mutual drive for coexistence, rather than just the power game it threatens to devolve into.