SINGAPORE -- The decision at the Japan-ASEAN summit on Dec. 11-12 to create a new "special relationship" between the two may be historic, but the economic free-trade areas that will provide its foundation look like long shots. Japanese efforts are likely to be frustrated by the same political forces that have blocked previous initiatives. That is a pity -- not only for Japan but also for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which seeks a rejuvenated relationship with Tokyo.

Hopes were high for the summit. The meeting marked the 30th anniversary of Japan's relations with ASEAN and, in reflection of that long-standing relationship, was the first ASEAN Commemorative summit with a dialogue partner and the first summit to be held outside the region. Japanese officials had promised a "historic" meeting, implying at least that there would be something more than the fact of the summit itself.

"The Tokyo Declaration for the Dynamic and Enduring Japan-ASEAN Partnership in the New Millennium" and its action plan might measure up to those ambitions. The declaration calls for deepening ties and enhanced cooperation in the fields of political and security affairs, monetary and financial policies, and information technology.