Greeting from the Chairman
The network of think-tanks, intellectuals, and business leaders, which has never been substantial, in either prewar or postwar Japan, is now gathered together for the first time. Envisioning an "East Asian Community" in the 21st century, the leaders of the wide-ranging fields in Japan has conducted a foundation work to grapple squarely with this issue. We established the "Council of the East Asian Community (CEAC)" with a sense of great responsibility.
In retrospect, I have advocated the concept of the "Organization of Economic Cooperation in East Asia" or the "East Asian Economic Community" in my political career. As I look at international relations today, active diplomatic efforts towards East Asian integration have been remarkable. Not only ASEAN countries and Korea, but even China, which seemed passive in promoting multilateral cooperation in the past, rapidly developed a sophisticated diplomacy that could be called a "new thinking diplomacy in East Asia". For instance, China took an initiative in establishing the "Network of East Asian Think-tanks (NEAT)" which was formed under the umbrella of ASEAN+3.
As for Japan, her response to the issue of East Asian integration has been ambivalent. This was because Japan stood upon a complex web of national identities. Japan is a country that belongs to G7, a Pacific power based on the Japan-US relations, and a country in East Asian region. However, an "East Asian Community" is increasingly becoming a reality as an irreversible trend. What is in question now is what kind of strategy Japan should adopt at this juncture. With this recognition, we named our organization the "Council on East Asian Community (CEAC)".
The roadmap for realizing an "East Asian Community" is not an easy process. From the point of view of security, there are issues of Taiwan Strait and Korean Peninsula in East Asia. On the socio-cultural aspects, there are considerable differences among countries, unlike in the EU. Nevertheless, there were no times in the past history comparable to today when we enthusiastically promote the concept of an East Asian Community. Both Korean and Chinese governments work hard to promote this concept.
If we look at Japan's neighboring countries, we should be aware that a summit meeting among the three countries of Japan, China and Korea must be held periodically. It is not an exaggeration to say that the community building will start with the periodical meeting among the three countries in Northeast Asia. Instead of riding on the occasion of ASEAN-hosted meeting to bring the three countries together, we need to hold a meeting of heads of government with our own initiative. Further, the six-party talks for North Korean situation could turn into a Northeast Asian regional framework in the mid-to-long term perspective. Japan should actively take initiatives to establish a cooperative framework in Northeast Asia.
When we consider the "East Asian Community," security issues are also important. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established as a framework for regional security, but its development has been very slow. However, building networks of FTAs may contribute to political stability in a longer term. Progress in regional financial cooperation may contribute to the stability of domestic politics in the region, and may become instrumental for good governance. I envision that such multi-layered structure of cooperation could lead to the system of an "East Asian Community." With the advancement of these processes, security issues will also be ameliorated in due course of time. These will be the issues to be examined by CEAC.
It is good for Japan to see the establishment of CEAC which personifies a large network of think-tanks, intellectuals, and business leaders in Japan. We now bear a great responsibility. By strengthening the activities of CEAC, we would try to complement the absence of strategic information system in Japan. I would like to make every effort to bring about good outcomes together with other members of CEAC.
NAKASONE Yasuhiro, Chairman