While China drew much media attention by declaring its bid to conclude a free-trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations within 10 years, the creation of an even bigger Asian community including ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea has turned up as a hot topic.
A group of experts from all of the countries participating in the annual "ASEAN plus three" meeting in November presented a list of proposals to their leaders, calling not only for trade liberalization, but also for cooperation in the political, security, social and cultural arenas to create a regional community.
Experts say such regional cooperation is one of the keys for Japan to enhance its relations with South Korea and China -- ties that have often been on the rocks due to issues stemming from Japan's wartime aggression and colonial rule.