Japan, China and South Korea agreed at a trilateral meeting in Beijing on Oct. 10 to work toward early resumption of the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak also said their three countries are committed to creating an East Asian community as a long-term goal.
Despite Mr. Hatoyama's enthusiasm for establishing an East Asian community, the approach so far looks foggy. As a preparatory step, Mr. Hatoyama wants to strengthen economic cooperation and joint efforts to combat global warming.
Many problems must be solved before the idea of an East Asian community becomes clear. One is how to dispel U.S. suspicion of the idea. In Beijing, Mr. Hatoyama said: "It could be said that we have so far depended on the United States too much. While the Japanese-U.S. alliance is important, I want to devise policies that focus more on Asia, as a member of Asia." Japan must strive to avoid alienating the U.S. or creating the feeling that the East Asian community would be hostile toward the U.S.