Foreign Minister's Major Speeches and Articles
Japan's Role in Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation
(The speech was delivered at the Japan National Press Club)
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei
Kono
28 July 1995
Introduction
Before leaving for the ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference next week in Brunei, I would like to take a few minutes of your time to explain my thinking on the basic assumptions and approaches that should underlie Japan's regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and what specific policies Japan should pursue in the region. Before that, of course, let me note that it is axiomatic that Japanese diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific is based upon the idea of -- facing up squarely to our history, without forgetting remorse for the past -- further strengthening our bonds of mutual understanding and mutual trust with China, the Republic of Korea, and our other Asian neighbors, and this is a major assumption in discussing Japan's role in Asia-Pacific cooperation.
Understanding of the Situation in the Asia-Pacific
Comparing the situation today to what it was when ASEAN was established nearly 30 years ago, the changes have been mind-boggling.
While there are still some destabilizing factors, the region's political stability quotient is sharply up today, as indicated by such encouraging developments as the resolution of the conflict in Cambodia, the normalization of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and the United States, and the fact that Viet Nam is joining ASEAN. Economically, there has been a rapid increase in intra-regional trade and investment and we are seeing the dynamic growth of interdependence in many fields. At the same time, the diversity that has long characterized this region -- diversity of development stage, political system, culture, ethnic make-up, and more -- has been preserved. China's future is another important issue for the region, and it is hoped that China will continue to pursue its Policy of Reform and Opening and will play an even more vigorous role in our efforts to ensure the region's prosperity and stability.
Given all of this, regional cooperation through such fora as APEC and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is extremely valuable in strengthening the mutual trust among the countries of the region and creating a sense of community for the future.
Japan's Aims in Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation
In strengthening these moves for regional cooperation, it is imperative that we delineate what, exactly, Japan hopes to achieve by them. I believe Japan should be a force supporting democratic development in the Asia-Pacific and should seek, at the same time, to be an indispensable partner for regional stability. While resolute deregulation and the further unleashing of private-sector initiative are essential in Japan, there is also increasing awareness in the Asia-Pacific countries that their own further economic development depends on market opening and deregulation. Likewise, individual creativity, initiative, and broad-based exchanges are forming the foundation for building vigorous societies. In Japan and in the rest of the Asia-Pacific, the tide of history is flowing toward the creation of more open, creative, and democratic societies. Japan wants to work to ensure that the historic momentum is not lost.
Japan should also be a force for stability in the Asia-Pacific. As they seek freedom, democracy, and prosperity, the people of the Asia-Pacific are also striving to achieve the prerequisite peace and stability. Japan has clearly confirmed its three non-nuclear principles and its basic policy of never again becoming a military power. At the same time, it has been contributing to the stability of the Asia-Pacific in the post-Cold War era by firmly supporting the U.S. presence in the region -- a presence indispensable to regional stability -- through the Japan-U.S. security arrangements. We believe the time is now right for Japan to make an even greater contribution as a force for stability in the Asia-Pacific. Given this basic Japanese policy, I would like next to say a few words about the principles underlying our promotion of Asia-Pacific regional cooperation.
Regional Cooperation Principles
While some people have been heard recently asking the extreme question of whether Japan will choose to identify with Asia or the United States, I reject this either/or approach as utterly inappropriate in light of the momentum that is building in the Asia-Pacific for regional cooperation and how we should foster this cooperation. The prosperity and stability of the region is not only based on cooperation among Asian countries but is unattainable without a U.S. involvement. Japan should thus look dispassionately at its position and make an effort for Asia-Pacific regional cooperation in line with the following three principles.
The first principle is that cooperation in this region should further strengthen interdependence throughout the region, meaning that it should be based upon the clear realization that regional prosperity feeds national prosperity and should serve to further region-wide cooperation as epitomized by APEC.
The second principle is that Asia-Pacific regional cooperation should build upon the various interlocking frameworks for cooperation, meaning that it should respect the different countries and regions' characteristics and stages of development, should make flexible use of the various frameworks for dialogue and cooperation existing in the region, and, linking these frameworks, should heighten the sense of shared identity within the region and contribute to region-wide stability and prosperity.
And the third principles is that Asia-Pacific regional cooperation should be open to extra-regional players, meaning that it should be compatible with such global frameworks as the United Nations and the WTO and should serve to complement and strengthen these frameworks.
Working in line with these three principles should then enable Japan to contribute correctly to the sound development of regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. Working from these principles, it is clear that region-wide frameworks such as APEC and ARF should be central to our efforts. And then we should make use of new forums for discussion established by sub-regional groupings of countries with shared interests and concerns that complement and promote regional cooperation in a right direction. Likewise, we should not commit ourselves to those groupings that are likely to prove detrimental to regional cooperation as a whole. On the basis of these principles, countries in this region will need to promote dialogue among themselves on APEC's trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, development and economic cooperation, energy and environmental issues within the region, and how best to develop dialogue with Europe and other extra-regional friends.
Looking at the Asia-Europe Meeting suggested for next year, I believe the basic list of Asian participants might well consist of ASEAN, Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea, as well as Australia and New Zealand, both of which are developing increasingly close interdependence with East Asia and see themselves very much as members of this region.
Initiatives on Asia-Pacific Issues
This then raises the question of what areas we should strengthen Asia-Pacific cooperation in. Here I would like to offer some suggestions on the five areas of (i) APEC, (ii) security cooperation, (iii) arms control and non-proliferation, (iv) economic cooperation, and (v) intellectual exchanges.
(i) APEC
Looking first at strengthening APEC, Japan, as this year's APEC Chair, is in a position to give concrete shape to the political will expressed at the Economic Leaders' Meetings in Seattle and Bogor. In order to achieve the objectives set forth in the Bogor Declaration, Japan will take the initiative in formulating a substantive Action Agenda and is determined to exercise leadership as the Chair so that Japan and other member economies include in their initial actions such concrete measures as accelerated implementation of their Uruguay Round commitments to give credibility to their actions within the APEC framework. Drawing up a meaningful Action Agenda will be significant for a number of reasons.
First, it will be APEC's first medium-to-long-term, comprehensive, and specific Action Agenda.
Second, regarding trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, the effort is being made not through negotiations but with a consensus for concerted unilateral actions and collective actions based upon voluntary initiatives by all members. This is a new methodology, and it is premised upon the realization that market opening and deregulation will lead to greater economic development in the Asia-Pacific and the belief that working toward open regional cooperation consistent with the multilateral free trading system will contribute to the region's prosperity. In a very real way, this is a demonstration of a distinctive Asia-Pacific Way differing from how other, traditional regional integration agreements have been concluded.
(ii) Asia-Pacific Regional Security
Ensuring peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific is, of course, prerequisite to facilitating economic cooperation in the region.
To this end, firstly, I believe the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the American presence play very important roles for Asia-Pacific peace and stability. Just as Japan will continue to provide and enhance its host-nation support for U.S. forces to facilitate the security arrangements with the United States, we also want to explore the possibilities for forging even more effective cooperation with the United States. Likewise, stable relations among the major players are also extremely important to regional stability, and it is imperative that the United States, China, Russia, and Japan each do its part for the region's stability and development.
At the same time, it is also essential that we strengthen the networks for dialogue and cooperation, including the ARF and the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue, to enhance mutual understanding and the sense of reassurance among the countries in the region. In this regard, Japan would like, in cooperation with ASEAN, to host governmental meetings of the foreign policy and defense authorities of the ARF participants to study specific measures for promoting confidence-building among the countries in the region. Thus I intend to discuss this with the other delegates at the ARF starting August 1 and to working for the holding of such conferences.
(iii) Arms Control and Non-proliferation
Another area essential to Asia-Pacific peace and stability is that of working for arms control and non-proliferation. It is essential that we avoid a situation in which economic growth leads to an arms race and proves detrimental to peace and stability, In Cambodia, the mines left over from the conflict pose a humanitarian threat and are a major impediment to postwar recovery and development, and Japan is determined to do what it can in mine removal and other fields.
The issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons development is a major regional security concern. In concert with the United States and the Republic of Korea, Japan has been extending substantial support for the establishment of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) and, with support from other countries as well, KEDO is now ready to begin operation. Japan has already sent a Deputy Executive Director to KEDO, and we intend, along with continuing to supply the necessary personnel, to provide significant financial support under an overall project scheme to ensure that this light-water reactor project succeeds.
Further, I must state that I am most concerned about the issue of nuclear testing by China and France, and I fear that this could easily have a very detrimental impact on the non-proliferation regime's credibility. I intend to take the issue up vigorously at the ARF, the United Nations, and other fora and to act in an appropriate manner.
There have been a number of meaningful initiatives taken for disarmament since the end of the Cold War, yet Japan is still sadly lacking in the personnel needed to handle arms control and disarmament issues. Thus it is essential that we work on strengthening our domestic arrangements for dealing with these issues. I intend, therefore, to start to work on arranging a new team of people able to survey the literature, organize the expertise, and explore new technologies relating to arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation, to provide the informational and other materials needed to promote public awareness in Japan and overseas, and to do the many other things that are so needed in this area.
(iv) Cooperation for Economic Liberalization and Political Democratization
Japan will continue to promote economic cooperation as a means of cooperating to advance the Asia-Pacific region's development. In so doing, we intend to place a dual emphasis on the differentiated approach tailoring cooperation to each recipient's stage of development and on the integrated approach officially utilizing ODA, Export-Import Bank resources, and other official funds for trade so as to energize the developing countries' private sectors. The very rapid growth achieved in the Asia-Pacific region has resulted in the emergence of a number of new aid-donor countries. By supporting these countries' efforts and working with them as partners, Japan intends to support South-South cooperation to assist the region's more needy nations.
Economic liberalization and political democratization have to go hand in hand for medium- and long-term stability and development. Through the principles of the ODA Charter, Japan has made it explicit that our ODA will be used in tenacious pursuit of democratization, the shift to market economies, and other basic values and systems. In line with this, we have held democratization study seminars for leaders from the developing countries and have offered cooperation in support of election reform and the shift to market economies. Wanting to ensure that our assistance is as effective as possible in this new direction, Japan also intends to step up its efforts in the intellectual support for nation-building in the developing countries. Specifically, we are going to offer integrated, effective support across the entire spectrum for market economization and democratic reforms by, for example, dispatching high-level advisors to help the developing countries draw up key policy measures.
(v) Expanding Programs to Improve Intellectual Infrastructures
Further enhancing the sense of community in the Asia-Pacific region demands promoting exchanges and dialogue in all spheres of life throughout the region, and it is especially important to support intellectual exchanges among researchers and research institutions. Realizing this, I intend to propose establishing a program for promoting intellectual exchanges in the Asia-Pacific. Specifically, I would like to propose that this program ask the leading private intellectual exchange organizations to discuss an agenda for promoting intra-regional joint research and dialogue for the region's development, help these organizations establish a network, carry out joint research projects, and train young researchers.
Conclusion
Regional cooperation is blooming not only in the Asia-Pacific but also in Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere, and it is important that these efforts for regional cooperation be paralleled by efforts to strengthen the United Nations, the WTO, and other global frameworks so as to avoid the international community's breaking into regional blocs.
In conclusion, I would thus like to reiterate my determination to take these initiatives in the interests of long-term regional stability and prosperity and in support of the creation of a free and open Asia-Pacific community.
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