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Press Release
The Second Annual
Conference of Network of East Asian Think – Tanks ( NEAT )
"Towards an East Asian Community "
organized by Institute of
East Asian Studies, Thammasat University
Saranrom Institute of
Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand,
The
Thailand Research Fund
August16-17,2004,
Inter Continental Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
The 2nd
Annual Conference of the Network of East Asian Think-Tanks (NEAT)
was held in Bangkok,
Thailand
on 16 –17 August 2004. The meeting was jointly organized by
the Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University,
Saranrom Institute of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Thailand, and Thailand Research Fund. The meeting
was attended by participants from the ASEAN +3 countries with
the following institutions as the Country Coordinators :
Brunei Darussalam Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brunei; General Department of
ASEAN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, Cambodia; Center for East Asian Studies, China
Foreign Affairs University, China; Center for East Asian
Cooperation Studies , Indonesia; The Japan Forum on
International Relations,Inc. Japan; Korean Institute of
Southeast Asian Studies (KISEAS), Korea; Institute of Foreign
Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Laos; Institute of
Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia; Myanmar
Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS)
Myanmar; Philippine Institute for Development Studies, The
Philippines; East Asian Institute, National University of
Singapore, Singapore; Institute of East Asian Studies,
Thammasat University, Thailand; and Institute for
International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam.
At the opening session,
Associate Professor Yupha Klangsuwan, Director of Institute
of East Asia Studies, Thammasat University, the organizer of
the 2nd NEAT Conference, delivered the opening
remarks. Ambassador Wu Jianmin, President of University of
Foreign Affairs of China, the organiser of the 1st
NEAT Conference, also delivered the opening remarks. H.E.Mr.
Saroj Chavanaviraj, Advisor to Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Thailand delivered the Opening Address.
1.Towards an East Asian Community
The theme of the meeting was
“Towards an East Asian Community”. The participants exchanged
views on how to promote East Asia Cooperation and East Asia
Community. There were a variety of views and recommendations
some of which can be summarized as follows :
-
Some participants had the
view that the long term vision of East Asian cooperation is
to create the East Asian Community. But the task is how to
define what is the East Asian Community. One approach is to
define it the way we define the ASEAN Community: that it
will be based on three pillars: East Asian Security
Community, East Asian Economic Community, and East Asian
Socio-Cultural Community.
-
The participants called for
increased efforts to foster a greater sense of community
and to build an East Asian identity, not just among the
government leaders but also among the ordinary people in the
region. It should focus on the people-to-people approach.
-
East Asia
cooperation should not start from scratch or from zero but
it should be based on the existing cooperation (ie. from
ASEAN cooperation). The cooperation should be based on the
“functional” approach by starting from the easy and less
sensitive areas ; it should focus on deepening before
widening the integrative process ; it should use building
block approach; and it should evolve into an open regional
community and open regionalism.
2. Economic Cooperation
The
participants exchanged views on how to promote economic
cooperation in East Asia. There were a variety of views and
recommendations some of which can be summarized as follows :
-
For the long-term goal, the possibility of
establishing the East Asia Economic Community in which there
is a free flow of goods, services, investment and capital
could be explored. The single market, the economic union
with common external policy could also be examined.
-
The setting up of the East Asia Free Trade
Area (EAFTA) should be on the high priority list. The
building block approach could be used by consolidating the
existing FTAs in the region.
-
ASEAN +3 Leaders should consider setting up
an official expert group to start the feasibility study of
EAFTA in 2005 and present a recommendation report in 2007.
-
Because of the existence of many regional and bilateral FTAs
arrangements in
East Asia,
it is important that these arrangements adhere to a common
framework and principle with a view to standardize and
harmonize overlapping FTAs arrangement.
-
On financial cooperation, as
a long-term goal, we could explore the possibility of
establishing the East Asian Monetary Union, the East Asian
Monetary Fund as the lender of last resort by pooling some
portions of massive foreign exchange reserves held by
ASEAN+3, a common or single currency, appropriate regional
exchange rate regime, and development of regional bond
market.
-
Further step should be made
in strengthening financial cooperation through doubling the
size of SWAP arrangements under the Chang Mai Initiative.
-
An expert group could be set
up to start feasibility study for a regional monetary fund.
-
There were also proposals to establish the ASEAN+3
entrepreneur forum,
East Asia
trade and investment facilitation initiative, energy
initiative focusing on energy policy coordination.
3.Political and Security Cooperation
On political and security
cooperation, the participants exchanged views on how to
promote the cooperation in East Asia .There were a variety of
views and recommendations some of which can be summarized as
follows:
-
In order to
enhance mutual understanding and common security awareness
and perceptions, a joint study on mutual perceptions of each
other and common threats and the increase of security
dialogues and exchange of experts and observers were
needed.
-
It was recommended that NEAT members are to
be actively involved in the making of action plans for
institutionalization of regional security cooperation in
East Asia.
-
For the
long-term goal, we could explore the possibility of setting
up the East Asia Security Community taking into account the
evolution of the ASEAN Security Community.
-
New
measures to establish the modalities for the East Asian
Security Community could be explored. The measures can
include: confidence-building measures, preventive diplomacy,
and conflict resolution mechanism.
-
Some
participants suggested to strengthen regional mechanisms for
cooperation on non-traditional security issues.
-
On the issue of human security, initiatives
for the cooperation in the areas of infectious diseases,
drug trafficking,human trafficking were recommended .
4. Socio-Cultural Cooperation
The participants exchanged views on how to
promote socio-cultural cooperation in East Asia . There were a
variety of views and recommendations some of which can be
summarized as follows:
-
Cultural diversity was the
strength of East Asian region, the regional identity
building should therefore be based on the process of unity
among diversity
-
As a long-term goal, we could explore the
possibility of establishing the East Asian Socio-Cultural
Community bonding
East Asia together as a community of caring
societies.
-
Regional solidarity and
identity could also be developed through expanded
personnel exchanges among East Asian countries at all
levels.
5.Institutionalization
The participants exchanged views on institutional aspects of
East Asian Community building . There were a variety of views
and recommendations some of which can be summarized as
follows:
-
Some participants recommended that ASEAN
should remain the driving force for the evolution of
structure and process of regional community-building. But
there should be continuing discussions on the modality that
should avoid marginalization of ASEAN but at the same time
give greater ownership to
China, Japan, and Korea.
-
Some participants expressed the views that
ASEAN+3 Summit framework
should remain the vehicle to advance the process of
cooperation. The evolution of East Asian Summit ( EAS )
is a desirable objective, but it should be part of an
evolutionary process that builds on the comfort level and
parallel with the ASEAN+3 framework. In a process of
finding the right modality, in the mean time, as a practical
approach, the dual-track approach by engaging in the process
of cooperation through both the ASEAN+3 mechanism and at
the same time supporting holding the EAS at the suitable
time could be considered.
-
Some
participants express the views that it is important to move
the current “ 10+3” process into an East Asian Summit ( EAS
). Declaration on East Asian Community could be issued. The
EAS could commission NEAT to prepare the Roadmap to East
Asian Community.
-
Some
participants felt that further discussion is needed
concerning the issue of the secretariat of East Asia
Cooperation. The issue is that should we establish a new
secretariat or using the ASEAN Secretariat by setting up
the new ASEAN+3 unit within the ASEAN secretariat. Some
participants also suggested setting up new coordinating
mechanism for all ASEAN+3 activities and meetings.
-
Setting up the
national focal point for East Asia Cooperation is suggested
.
-
The possibility of establishing the “East
Asia Information Center” should be explored.
-
In terms of membership, some participants
felt that the principle is that it should be inclusive
rather than exclusive.
East
Asia should not just include ASEAN countries, China, Japan,
and South Korea. In the long term, it should expand to
have an region-wide coverage.
-
In order to
build the East Asian Community, it was necessary to involve
various actors, including government officials (Track One),
academics (Track Two) and other private sectors and civil
society (Track Three).
6. Organization of NEAT
·
The
Country Coordinators’ meeting adopted the “Basic Rules and
Framework of the Network of East Asian Think-Tanks (NEAT)
which incorporates the purposes and functions of NEAT,
membership, Country Coordinators meeting, secretarial work,
the Annual Conference and funding.
-
The Country
Coordinators’ meeting adopted the “Basic Rules and Framework
of the Network of East Asian Think-Tanks (NEAT) which
incorporates the purposes and functions of NEAT, membership,
Country Coordinators meeting, secretarial work, the Annual
Conference and funding.
-
The meeting
discussed the activities for future cooperation which
include issue for further studies, setting up three working
groups to study regional security, economic and
socio-cultural issues, the future workshops and roundtables,
and joint research and publication.
-
The meeting
agreed that the Memorandum Paper incorporating policy
recommendations from the 2nd NEAT would be
prepared and submitted to the ASEAN+3 Meeting particularly
to the ASEAN+3 Summit in November 2004.
-
The meeting agreed that
Japan’s Country Coordinator will be the host
for the 3rd Annual Conference of NEAT.
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