On the last day of July, just days before the 40th Anniversary
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), foreign
ministers from the 10 ASEAN member countries and China, Japan and
South Korea (10+3) gathered in Manila of the Philippines to discuss
issues including economy, politics and security.
Leaders and high ranking officials of 10+3 sitting together to
have meetings was incogitable for most of people a decade ago. But
now all the politicians and observers have noticed that the
relationship of partners within 10+3 is unprecedented close and
comprehensive today.
On Dec. 15, 1997 in Malaysia, leaders of ASEAN's member
countries and China, Japan and South Korea historically gathered
together to discuss the future of East Asia, cheering the
establishment of 10+3 framework.
As two of the most economic energetic regions in the world, the
cooperation between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia mainly
focused in the fields of trade and economy at the first phase, and
reached a prodigious success soon.
Take China-ASEAN trade as an example, in the past decade, the
two-way trade volume has increased yearly about 20 percent.
According to statistics of China's Ministry of Commerce, it reached
to US$160.8 billion in 2006, and the figure is expected to surpass
US$180 billion this year.
Now China is the fourth biggest trade partner of ASEAN, and
ASEAN the fifth of China.
In 2002, China became the first country to sign agreement with
ASEAN on building Free Trade Area (FTA), which will be completed by
2010. In the past five years, taxes of about 7,000 kinds of goods
has lowered down, scale of mutually direct investment went on
bulge, China-ASEAN Expo which held in China's Nanning every year
since 2004 has become an important stage for bilateral trade and
communications. People of both sides have benefited a lot in the
FTA.
South Korea and Japan also do not want to lag behind in term
of10+3 cooperation. A free-trade deal covering merchandise between
South Korea and ASEAN, excluding Thailand, came into force on
June1. Negotiations covering services and investment will end by
the end of this year.
The trade volume of South Korea and ASEAN reached US$53.5
billion, account for one tenth of South Korea's total trade, in the
year 2005. Investment of US$12.5 billion from South Korea flew to
ASEAN in 2006.
Although Japan has not signed free trade deal with ASEAN, it has
been one of the countries that invest most in ASEAN members in the
past 30 years.
In a healthy competition of the three countries so far to boost
trade and investment in ASEAN, economic integration in East Asia
becomes foreseeable.
As the cooperation is deepening and broadening, the concerned
topics of 10+3 gradually expand to politics, security, culture and
other fields. Under the framework, minister-level meeting system in
the diplomatic, financial, economic, agricultural, tourism and
labor fields has built up and run healthily. Cooperation in
non-traditional security, energy security, education, bird-flu
prevention, poverty alleviation and disaster management are all
getting on smoothly.
At Manila, the ministers urged to draft the 2nd Joint Statement
on East Asia Cooperation to round up the accomplishments, because
the 10+3 framework compiled in 1999 had not covered with all
aspects of cooperation.
As another strong signal, the ministers also discussed regional
hot issues such as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. It
shows that the 10+3 nations have the common interest in keeping
peace and stability in the region and the world.
After establishment, 10+3 persist on supporting ASEAN to play an
important role in framework like East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF), Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD),
Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM) and integration of East Asia.
However, East Asia, with huge diversities in religions, ideology
and culture background, disputes left behind by history and great
imbalance in levels of economy and society development, it is still
a long way for a final integration.
"Economic development in our region is still unbalanced and some
countries still lag behind in economic and social development,"
Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi said to his counterparts in
Manila, "The overall competitiveness of East Asia needs to be
enhanced."
No matter how, the 10+3 has become a win-win road for
integration of East Asia, and more important, as leaders stressed
in Manila that the 10+3 is one of the most important cooperation
frameworks in the region and the main tool in the long-term goal of
establishing an East Asian Community.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2007)
