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The fourth East Asian Summit (EAS) in Hua Hin, on 25th October sounded more inclusive as its participants went beyond the ASEAN grouping and covered China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand who are the ‘ASEAN +6’.
The EAS reaffirmed the conviction that it should continue to help build a prosperous and harmonious East Asia with ASEAN as the driving force working in close partnership with other participants of the EAS. It noted that the EAS has rapidly developed as a strategic forum and important component of the evolving regional architecture capable of playing a complementary and mutually reinforcing role with other regional mechanisms, including the ASEAN dialogue process, the ASEAN Plus Three process, the ARF, and APEC in building an East Asian community.
At present, countries in the East Asia regions are facing hindered exports, which have caused an unfavourable balance of trade, reduced economic growth rates, monetary market upheavals and the rising unemployment. So, all countries in the region have stepped up their efforts to cope with the crisis while working diligently to seek regional and international cooperation.
East Asia, which is showing increasing vitality, has become one of the leading global economic powers. Today, the open intra-regionalism has turned stronger in trade relations inside East Asia, and Asian policy makers, nevertheless, have realized that it has been an overall trend that stronger intra-regionalism and constructive multilateral cooperation can integrate into the regional free trade against the overall perspective of globalization.
Topics
The summit discussed ratification of the long postponed Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on EAS Disaster Management; mobilization against the H1N1 Influenza virus; free elections in Myanmar; restoration of diplomacy with North Korea, and a continued direction towards economic liberalization.
The East Asian Summit was started in 2005 under Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Mohathir. At the Summit, two competing conceptions of an Asian regional community were discussed by the then Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Australian Prime Minister Paul Rudd respectively. The major difference between the two proposals was that Hatoyama’s plan was mum on the role of the US while Rudd was eloquent on the accession of the US, whose historically powerful influence in Asia is slipping, of late.
Kevin Rudd advocated an Asia Pacific Community to encourage regional cooperation based on security. He outlined ideas for a bigger and bolder grouping that would bind the APEC and ASEAN groups together to create a “far-reaching alliance that would have security issues at its heart”.
According to Rudd, “This dynamic region, which is so much the centre of global economic activity of the 21st century has genuine security challenges in the 21st century and we must always work to improve by regional, coordination and cooperation systems and institutions into the future”.
Some observers say that the rise of China and Japan has awakened fears of dominance; some deride Japan’s encouragement of regional cooperation as a new incarnation of its neo-Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere-the banner under which Japan invaded Manchuria and Southeast Asia during World War II.
The best part is that ASEAN+6 comprise countries with vastly different systems of political rule, from the red capitalism of China to the parliamentary democracy of India, that are looking for a common thread to cooperate.
In that sense, ASEAN+6’s shortcomings are tolerable and potential is more important. Both the East Asian Summit and ASEAN are evolving as broad platforms for animated dialogue and discussion.
Asian Model
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was emphatic on Asia needing a new economic model that is no longer dependent on Western markets, signalling a shift toward the idea that Asia is no longer just a producer of consumer goods. Mr. Abhisit chaired the EAS summit.
Reaffirming support to a peaceful solution to the issues of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and humanitarian concerns of the international community through diplomatic channels, the EAS reiterated full support for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks to facilitate long-term peace and stability in the region. It also reaffirmed commitment to implement the provision of the relevant UNSC resolutions and urged the DPRK to fully comply with them. It called up the Myanmar Government to ensure the implementation of the Seven-Step Roadmap to Democracy and exhorted the Myanmar Government to ensure a free, fair and inclusive general election in 2010.
Welcoming the outcome of the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh on 24-25 September 2009, EAS called for continuance of stimulus package until recovery is secured. Calling up all to resist protectionism and reform the international financial system and institutions, the EAS Summit hailed the invitation to the ASEAN Chair to the G20 Summits in London and Pittsburgh.
It reiterated the resolve to accelerate the Doha Round negotiations with the aim of achieving an ambitious and balanced conclusion to the Round by 2010. Despite noting that the global economy had shown signs of recovery, it asked the EAS countries to remain vigilant on the trade financing front and enhance cooperation in this area.
Climate Change
EAS expressed commitment to the successful outcome of the Copenhagen Climate Conference and shared the view that it is important to work closely to ensure that such outcome should incorporate long-term cooperative actions in accordance with the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC and the Bali Action Plan, in accordance with the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities. It looked forward to a successful, effective, comprehensive and equitable outcome at the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009.
The Summit appreciated initiatives promoted by the EAS participating countries, such as ‘Low Carbon Society’, ‘Clean Asia Initiatives’ and ‘East Asia Climate Change Partnership’ as well as activities organized by the EAS participating countries, such as EAS Conference on Liveable Cities in June 2008 in Singapore and EAS Seminar on Climate Change Adaptation Capacity Building in October 2008 in China. It welcomed Vietnam’s initiative to establish an East Asia environment education centre in Vietnam as endorsed by the First East Asia Environment Ministerial Meeting held in 2008 in Vietnam.
It appreciated Japan’s initiative in building a disaster resilient society in East Asia, Australia’s proposals on regional network of disaster response ‘Sherpas’ and a regional-pooled fund as part of the efforts to enhance regional disaster response coordination. The upcoming ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response expressed support for establishing the ASEAN Disaster Management and Emergency Relief Fund to reaffirm the importance of raising skills at the grass root levels to enhance their capability in disaster management.
Pat for India
EAS appreciated the revival of the Nalanda University in India and extended political support to India’s efforts in this direction at the Bihar state. Noting the progress made in the implementation of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths it welcomed Japan’s proposal to hold an international conference on promoting cooperation among universities with quality assurance in East Asia. It also welcomed the offer from China for 2000 government scholarships and 200 MPA scholarships.
The summit agreed to step up efforts to deal with the outbreak of the new Influenza H1N1 as a new challenge to economic growth and the well-being of peoples by increasing collaboration in the fight against this pandemic, including sharing of information, establishing more regional stockpiles of essential medical supplies and assisting one another in cheaper medicines and pandemic influenza vaccines. Given the growing threat posed by Influenza H1N1 and other pandemic diseases, it tasked the health officials to consider ways to address these threats.
Connectivity
Supporting the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN Connectivity issued on 24 October 2009 that shared a common view that enhanced intra-ASEAN connectivity would benefit the EAS region as a whole. Recognizing that connectivity would help catalyze regional integration it supported enhanced linkages both within ASEAN and between ASEAN and its partners in the EAS. In this regard, it supported ASEAN’s effort to develop an ASEAN Master Plan on regional connectivity and infrastructure development for ASEAN.
Indian Presence
ASEAN Summit Spokesperson Vimon Kidchob said that participation by countries like India was very significant for all ASEAN members. India has very strong-hold in various fields like education, herbal medicines, IT, and science and technology. The role of India cannot be ignored and ASEAN expects to enhance trade with New Delhi.
In his statement before departing for the Seventh India-ASEAN and the Fourth East Asia Summit in Bangkok, Dr. Manmohan Singh said, “India’s enhanced engagement with the ASEAN is at the heart of our Look East Policy. The conclusion of the India-ASEAN Trade-in-Goods Agreement in August 2009 is a major first step in our objective of creating an India-ASEAN Regional Trade and Investment Area”. India-ASEAN trade has grown at a healthy rate and stood at about US$48 billion in 2008.
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