Cooperate to build an East Asia Community

• Source: Global Times
• [03:28 October 10 2009]
• Comments

Discussion regarding the formation of an East Asia Community is highly anticipated at  three-way summit between China, Japan and South Korea.

Thus far, the integration of East Asian countries is at an early stage and there is still a long way to go.

As a leading power in the region, China will take the initiative to promote regional integration and shoulder more responsibility.

Creating a community of nations in East Asia is not a new idea.

But in the past, China's economic struggles and the lack of close economic ties between China, Japan and South Korea made it difficult to create a regional union.

Furthermore, creating such a union was not always a shared goal among the three countries.

But the situation is different now. With the expansion of the region's economic power, and the increasingly interdependent relationship among its countries, some of the basic structures required for creating a union are already in place. China's rise in the past few decades has given it both the capability and the obligation to help push forward the efforts.

Creating an effective East Asia Community will surely increase the region's clout in global competition and ultimately serve the interests of all Asian countries.

Making that goal a reality will require the intent cooperation of East Asia's leading countries.

China, Japan and South Korea now account for around 17 percent of the world's GDP and almost a quarter of the world's population. A partnership between the three has the potential to significantly further the region's political and economic integration.

Although Japan's proposal to create an East Asia Community may stir some controversy over the shift in the international power balance and competition over leadership of the group, these are not the most crucial issues at the current stage.

Finding a common ground among the three countries in spite of their historic conflicts and differing interests is more critical. The three countries' relations with the United States may also complicate positive desires for greater regional cooperation.

Therefore, the first step forward is getting China, Japan and South Korea working together toward a common goal, and doing a good job of managing relations with the US.

Aware of the importance of working with neighboring nations to enhance regional security and development, China has been long supportive of the idea of an East Asia Community. But China also urgently needs to develop its own broad East Asia strategy to deal with the issue. A reactive mindset will only hinder China's ability to play its part in the process.