Japan sees ASEAN at core of E. Asian community, but stresses U.S. ties+

HUA HIN, Thailand, Oct. 24 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Saturday told his Southeast Asian
counterparts that regional mechanisms centering on ASEAN will play a leading
role in bringing about his concept of an ''East Asian community'' but made
clear that the Japan-U.S. alliance remains the cornerstone of Tokyo's foreign
policy, a Japanese official said.

Hatoyama's remarks, indicating that he will seek U.S. involvement in his pet
concept, came amid rising tensions between Tokyo and Washington, Japan's
closest ally, over the planned realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, which the
new government led by Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan hopes to review.
''Such frameworks as ASEAN-plus-three, or the East Asia Summit, or ASEAN, which
is seeing progress in its integration -- I believe they will play a leading
role,'' Hatoyama was quoted as telling the ASEAN-plus-three summit, which
groups ASEAN as well as Japan, China and South Korea, adding, ''And beyond the
accumulation of the ongoing network of regional cooperation a community will
come into sight.''
But he also stressed that ''Japan-U.S. relations remain the cornerstone of
Japan's foreign policy,'' according to the official.
Hatoyama made similar remarks during a Japan-ASEAN summit meeting held earlier
in the day, stressing that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations
holds an ''important position'' in East Asia while also noting the importance
of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
The official said he believes the leaders of the ASEAN countries ''basically''
shared the idea of promoting regional cooperation in various areas with an
''East Asian community'' as a long-term vision.
On North Korea, Japan and the ASEAN leaders agreed to seek a quick resumption
of the stalled six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the North.
The ASEAN countries also welcomed Hatoyama's pledge to cut Japan's greenhouse
gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 and called on Japan to
support ASEAN members' efforts to address climate change.
Hatoyama is on a three-day visit to the Thai seaside resort of Hua Hin from
Friday to attend a series of summit meetings involving ASEAN and its
Asia-Pacific partners.
The meetings had been delayed since last December due to political unrest in
Thailand. The meetings were moved to April in Pattaya but were canceled amid
protests against the Thai government.
For Japan, the focus of Saturday's Japan-ASEAN summit and the ASEAN-plus-three
summit has been on how Hatoyama will explain his ''East Asian community''
concept for closer regional cooperation. He has been vague on specifics such as
which countries should be involved in the framework.
During the Japan-ASEAN summit meeting in the morning, Hatoyama said, ''We would
like to steadily promote cooperation in East Asia based on the principle of
openness by holding up the long-term vision of building an East Asian
community,'' according to the official.
Four or five ASEAN countries said they would like to cooperate in specific
areas by setting the community concept as ''a long-term goal,'' the official
said.
Asked why Hatoyama had to refer to the Japan-U.S. alliance with the ASEAN
leaders, the official only said that he thinks that the prime minister did so
to explain Japan's ''basic foreign policy stance.''
During the meeting, Hatoyama also said that Japan hopes to contribute to
bringing prosperity and stability to ASEAN countries, which are seeking to
build a community by 2015 amid economic disparities within the regional bloc.
As for areas in which Japan hopes to enhance cooperation, Hatoyama cited the
development of the Mekong region, the economic development of which has lagged
behind that of other ASEAN areas, along with the response to infectious
diseases amid the spread of the new influenza, climate change and youth
exchanges.
In the ASEAN-plus-three summit, Hatoyama told participants that Japan will
actively contribute to upgrading the existing network of bilateral currency
swap schemes to a multilateral operation dubbed the Chiang Mai Initiative
Multilateralization.
The web of bilateral swap deals was set up in 2000 as part of regional efforts
to avert financial turmoil similar to the 1997-1998 Asian crisis.
Hatoyama also proposed to hold international conferences in Japan to discuss
ways to improve exchanges between universities in East Asia and to reinforce
cooperation on disaster prevention.
Prior to the day's summit meetings, Hatoyama met bilaterally on the sidelines
with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, during which he was asked to
explain the East Asian community concept.
Hatoyama stressed to the chair of the series of ASEAN-related summits that
ASEAN is important in promoting cooperation in the East Asian region and
expressed Japan's readiness to make contributions ''more than ever'' to assist
ASEAN integration.
The DPJ-led Japanese government, which realized a historical change of power in
September, is seeking a foreign policy more independent of the United States,
while hoping to build stronger ties with neighboring Asian countries.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The East Asia Summit groups
10-member ASEAN, Japan, China, and South Korea, as well as Australia, India and
New Zealand. The EAS will be held Sunday.
==Kyodo