Database
on Basic Documents of Japan-ASEAN Relations
Department of
Advanced Social and International Studies,
Reforms for the
New Era of
Your Excellency
Prime Minister Goh Chok
Tong,
Your Excellency Dr
Tony Tan Keng Yam, Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Defence,
Excellencies,
Ladies and
gentlemen,
I am honoured to have the opportunity to express my views on
Japan-A.SZAN relations in this Singapore Lecture,, so famed for its long
tradition. On my current visit to Southeast Asia, I have been received warmly
in Brunei Darussalam,
Throughout this
visit, I felt very strongly the dynamic desire of people in this region to
create free, open, and vibrant societies. This experience has renewed my belief
that
This year marks
the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the Association of the Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) . In the meantime, the cold war between the United States
and the Soviet Union has ended in world politics, and the world economy has
become more integrated than ever before, with capital, labour,
and technology freely moving beyond national borders, stimulated by advanced
information technologies d economic liberalization. In the Asia Pacific, many
countries enjoy economic prosperity while
ASEAN holds a
unique position in the world as a successful model., achieving both political
stability and economic growth. ASEAN' s active diplomatic initiatives have produced
spectacular achievements. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is making steady
progress as a multilateral security framework contributing to regional
stability, and in addition to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) has been launched as an historic undertaking to
strengthen relations between Asia and
I would like to
stress here that throughout the 30 years of ASF,AN,
Today, four years
left for the 21st century, I would like to deliberate with you on how
Ladies and
gentlemen,
Although A.SEAN
has so far achieved remarkable successes in both political and economic fields,
it is faced with several new challenges emerging in the Asia Pacific.
Despite growing
economic prosperity, problems of poverty persist.
In the long
process toward a society in which every citizen can enjoy freedom and equality,
some ideals have yet to be fully realized.
Concerns exist
that while economic development enriches people I s lives, unique traditional
cultures could be neglected. ASEAN’s efforts are
required to sustain an open international economic system, to take I>old
steps for domestic structural reforms . and to advance indigenous innovation,
so that it maintain its economic prosperity.
Further-more, the
rapid economic growth now under way could exacerbate several problems such as
environmental impact, food and energy shortages, population growth, A-IDS, and
narcotics.
Expansion of
A.SEAN membership could increase the magnitude of those problems and make
coordination mechanisms among members more difficult.
These challenges
could be called "ordeals for ASEAN". ASEAN is expected to tackle
these problems, to overcome conflicting national interests and to strengthen
solidarity among countries in Southeast Asia, thereby providing a groundwork
for peace and prosperity in
What about
For example,
"economic structural reform" would make the Japanese economy more
efficient, resilient and international 1, enhancing Japan" s
attractiveness as an arena for economic activities. At the same time it would
further expand market opportunities in Japan for foreign industries including
ASEAN'S.
"Financial
system reform" would make the Japanese financial system even more free,
fair and global, and thus realize the dynamic renaissance of Japan as a more
advanced international financial market; the reform for example would promote
access to and use of the yen across national borders, by allowing more smooth
fund raising by foreigners in Japan as well as freer use of the yen abroad. I am
convinced that the reform would contribute to further development of economies
and financial markets of Asian countries as a whole including Singapore.
These reforms are
intended to overcome "ordeals for Japan". They are not easy tasks ,
but nevertheless must be completed at all costs.
Japan and ASEAN
have a close relationship, b<:>th
geopolitically and historically. I believe that stability and development in
Asia are prerequisites for Japan's stability and development, and it is self
-evident that the two are inseparable.
Therefore, Japan
should exchange views and experiences with ASEAN, sharing each other’s pains if necessary, to help solve each
other-s problems, in a spirit of friendship. And Japan would like to continue
this cooperation in helping A.SF.AN to remain a successful model for other
nations, while at the same time learning from ASEAN’s experiences as we implement our internal reforms.
Ladies and
gentlemen,
Japan and AS have
traditionally been in a mutually beneficial relationship in economic field, in
which we help and support each other. The mutual cooperation should continue to
establish an open international economic system and to sustain and develop
economic prosperity in the Asia Pacific. To that end, within the rapid globalization
of the world economy, it is important for Japan and ASFLAN to enhance their
cooperation at WTO for a free and open world economy. In other words, to
maintain and strengthen a multilateral free trade system.
It is also
necessary to make effective use of other frameworks such as A.PEC and A-SEM. I
welcome the fact that A.PEC particularly has gained increasing importance, as a
framework for pursuing economic prosperity in the Asia Pacific, under the ideal
of regional cooperation open to the world.
It is equally
necessary for Japan and each of the A.SFAN countries to take bold steps in
domestic reforms without being complacent with the status quo, to make our
socioeconomic systems more compatible with market mechanisms.
I talked about
Japan's current reforms in six areas, and ASEAN countries are also not exempt
from the necessity of domestic reforms. As one of the major pillars sustaining
stable economic growth in the Asia Pacific, ASEAN is required to actively
promote economic reforms at both regional and national levels.
ASEAN' s economic
growth becomes increasingly led by domestic consumption demand rather than
export to outside countries. Formation of markets of a reasonable scale is
necessary, to achieve future sustainable economic growth driven by domestic
demand. To that end, ASEAN is required to overcome conflicting national
interests and to promote efforts of regional market integration such as the
ASF.AN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and A.SF.AN Industrial Cooperation (AICO) , in a
manner to promote the trend toward trade and investment liberalization.
Current and
potential AS member countries, meanwhile, are faced with the necessity of a
variety of domestic reforms, depending upon their stage of economic
development. Some are needed to restructure their economies into more advanced
ones while others should urgently participate in the international economic
system based upon market mechanisms,, as well as developing infrastructures.
AS countries are
thus expected to follow principles such as market mechanisms and international
coordination, to address themselves to structural reforms at regional as well
as national levels, and to maintain and promote their economic dynamism in a
manner open to other parts of the world. Their actions will be extremely
important in expanding the interests of the Asia Pacific and the world over.
Japan for her part will support such efforts by ASF.AN countries as much as
possible.
Needless to say,
these reforms should be promoted based upon requests from the private sector,
the main engine of economic development, so that it can realize its full
capacity. Exchanges between Japan and ASEAN private sectors should also be
encouraged. When I was MITI Minister, I made efforts to promote Japan-A.SEAN
cooperation in such fields as development of downstream industries,
intellectual property, quality control, and industrial technology research. I
also supported the launch of an initiative for industrial cooperation involving
potential ASEAN members. Japan would like to continue to support robust private
sectors and to promote further technology transfer, responding to expansion of
ASEAN membership and resulting problems.
Furthermore,
Official Development Assistance(ODA) will continue to play a role in the
economic development of the Asia Pacific, and Japan would like to extend as
much cooperation as possible. However, from the viewpoint of efficient and
effective use of limited funds, several new approaches should be Incorporated
in ODA implementation.
Examples of those
approaches are: intellectual support to countries in their transition efforts
toward becoming market economies; infrastructure development in collaboration
with the private sector; development assistance based on a regional approach
transcending national borders, and voluntary aid coordination among donors.
These efforts to
combine economic, trade and investment, and ODA policies in a manner
appropriate to specific circumstances, are in line with the central ideas of
"New Development Strategies" proposed by Japan.
Ladies and
gentlemen,
Japan-ASEAN
economic relations have expanded in the past and now become vitally important
to each other. Needless to say, these relations should further be expanded.
However,
international relations are more than just economies. On the occasion of ASEAN’s 30th anniversary, I would like to expand the
present cooperative equal partnership between Japan and AS into a broader and
deeper one suitable for this new era. Toward that end, I think that Japan and
ASEAN should strengthen joint endeavours focusing on
the following three areas.
Firstly, broader
and deeper .exchanges I>etween Japan and ASF.AN at
top and all the other levels. Given the increasing importance of ASEAN as an
entity with one voice in the international community, I think it particularly
necessary to strengthen policy dialogues between Japan and ASF.AN at various
levels.
In order to
promote the Japan-ASFAN cooperation, strong political leadership is
indispensable. Dialogues at top levels should be enhanced to build stronger
personal ties of trust between top leaders. I would like to take every possible
opportunity to have closer and more frequent dialogues with my ASF,AN
counterparts. That is why I made these visits at this time, and I would like to
welcome future visits to Japan by ASEAN leaders. We should make use of
occasions such as formal and informal ASFAN Summit Meetings. I proposed this
idea to the leaders I met during this visit, and obtained their agreements on
the basic idea.
In this context.
"Japan-ASEAN Forum", an existing dialogue framework between Japan and
ASEAN, should also be made more active, frequent, and meaningful.
Japan serves as a
non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations for two
years from this year, and would like to closely consult with ASF.AN at the UN
as well. To ensure peace and stability in the Asia Pacific in the 21st century,
I would like to see Japan have frank dialogues on regional security with each
of the A.SF.AN countries on a bilateral basis.
Secondly, as we
often have stressed, it is necessary to deep-en mutual understanding and to and
cultural cooperation, to consolidate Japan-ASEAN friendship. The rich cultural
heritage of each ASEAN country greatly touches our hearts, reminding us of the
value of unique living cultures. I think it necessary to preserve these
cultures for future generations, and to enhance multilateral endeavours and cooperation respecting cultural diversity.
Japan has
cooperated through technology transfers in preserving and restoring cultural
heritages in Southeast Asia, including Hue in Viet Nam and Angkor in Cambodia,
through such schemes as the UNESCO/Japanese Trust Fund for Preservation of the
World Cultural Heritage. I would like to see Japan continue to actively cooperate
to preserve and restore cultural heritages, and to maintain and develop unique
cultures.
To enhance mutual
understanding regarding traditions and cultures among neighbours
is also important. In coordination with private initiatives, I would like to
expand cultural exchanges, particularly among the youth who will lead the
future world, and to strengthen cultural cooperation on a multilateral basis so
that diverse cultures can live in harmony.
As a concrete
measure, I would like to propose to create a multinational cultural mission
comprising experts from Japan and ASEAN countries, which would make
recommendations for future cultural exchanges and cooperation. I hope that
through these exchanges and cooperations, a sense of
community will be fostered throughout the Asia Pacific.
Thirdly, Japan and
ASF-AN should jointly. address themselves, by sharing their wisdom and
experiences, to various problems that the international community faces as a
whole.
Given the
situation that both Japan and A.SFAN increasingly play global roles, their
joint initiatives to tackle those tasks for the 21st century, such as
terrorism, the environment, enhancing health and welfare, food and energy
shortages, population growth, AIDS, narcotics, and reinforcing the rule of law,
are sure to provide more breadth and depth to the Japan-ASEAN relationship.
Possible areas for cooperation include the following:
As for the recent
incident of terrorists assault to the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in the Republic of Peru, Japan has
been making tenacious efforts to liberate all the hostages as early as
possible, while never giving in to terrorism. I would like to express my thanks
to ASF.AN leaders I met, for their support and encouragement to Japan and
President Fujimori. Terrorism is precisely the kind
of issue that the international community must cooperate to cope with firmly.
Needless to say, we have to make the utmost efforts to quickly solve this
incident. After its resolution, however, we must examine the lessons from this
experience, and establish a system in which relevant authorities of concerned
countries can always exchange and share information. This is an initiative to
try to establish a network for exchanging and sharing information and views
between Japan and A.SF.AN, to tackle terrorism and to ensure the security of
people’s lives. Through a series of meetings with
ASEAN leaders I met, I could get their support to my idea.
The environment is
an issue of global importance. Japan has experienced serious industrial pollution
such as air and water pollution during the process of its high economic growth.
To overcome the problem, in addition to development of anti-pollution
technologies at the laboratory level, actual application and utilization in
production process was encouraged by a variety of government policy actions
including taxation and regulations. These joint efforts of government and
private sectors helped Japan overcome the problem of industrial pollution,
while at the same time creating new products and industries.
In recent years.,
Japan has been actively engaged in tackling new types of environmental Problems
such as wastes and global warming resulting from mass production and
consumption, reflecting urbanization and changes in life style. I hope to see
Japan share with A.SF.AN countries now enjoying spectacular growth her own
experiences and technologies for anti-pollution and efficient energy use, not
just her success stories but also mistakes and difficulties in the past, so
that they will not repeat the same mistakes.
In implementing
ODA for current and potential ASEAN members, Japan would like to positively
promote various enviromental cooperation, such as the
prevention of industrial pollution and protection of forests and biodiversity.
Improving people"
s health and welfare is a task that every country has to tackle, regardless of
the stage of its economic development. I proposed an "Initiative for a Ca
ring World" last year, and as its concrete measure Japan hosted the
"East Asian Ministerial Meeting on Caring Societies" in Okinawa in
December last year. Using the lessons gained at that meeting, I would like to
consider in cooperation with ASEAN,, how the initiative could further be
developed in the future.
In these areas of
the environment health and welfare, I would like to see Japan not just share
her know-how and experiences, but also absorb AS' s wisdom as well.
The ASEAN
countries with remarkable development nowadays support development of other
countries still in difficulties, by sharing their successful experiences with
them in many fields. It would be quite meaningful that each A.SF.AN country
continues to further support the less developed countries, taking full
advantage of their similar religions, cultures, and environments. Japan for her
part would like to make efforts through tripartite cooperations
so that fruits gained from the Japan-A,SF-AN cooperation in various fields can
widely be enjoyed in other parts of the world.
Ladies and
gentlemen,
As Japan and ASEAN
strengthen their joint forward looking cooperation to prepare for the coming
century., the most important precondition would be that peace and stability in
the Asia Pacific are firmly ensured.
And the most
important factor for this precondition is, I firmly believe, the presence of
the United States in Asia.
Even after the end
of the cold war, several unstable factors persist in the region. So that these
factors will not become international conflicts, the presence of the United
States, a country of unrivalled power and founded upon principles such as
democracy, market mechanism, and respect for creativity, is essential.
The Japan-US
security arrangements are very important framework for engaging the US
presence. So I would like to take this opportunity to make it clear that Japan
will continue to do its best to maintain confidence in the arrangements. I
sincerely hope that the meaning of the arrangements are correctly understood.
They serve as a sort of infrastructure for stability and economic prosperity in
the Asia Pacific, and are in no sense targetted
against any specific country.
Another extremely
important factor :Ls relations with China. Every ASEAN country has deep-rooted
and inseparable relations with China in historical, cultural, political and
economic terms. The same is true of Japan.
Now that China has
been following a path of modernization through its policy of reform and
openness, she takes more part in every arena. It is important for the rest of
the world to support the policy direction and to enhance wide ranging dialogues
and exchanges with China so that she can secure her position as a constructive
partner in the international community.
Japan’s ODA projects to China are implemented from
that viewpoint. Yen loan projects play a role in promoting public
infrastructure development required for China' s economic growth. Grant in aid
projects, including medical-related ones, can help enhance the Chinese people's
lives and welfare. These cooperations, in my opinion,
contribute to fostering their good will toward Japan.
I am convinced
that the presence of a politically stable, economically prosperous China, bound
by ties of trust with the rest of the world, would be in everybody s interest
in the Asia Pacific and the world over.
My view is that
the relations among Japan, the United States, and China will have an important
impact on the entire Asia Pacific. Improved Japan-US, Japan-China, and US-China
relations will contribute to peace and prosperity in the region. There is no
"zero sum" in these relations. I have thus pointed out -the
importance of improved US-China relations, and heartily welcome the trend
currently moving in that direction.
To maintain and
promote friendship and cooperation with the , Republic of Korea, another
Japanese neighbour which is becoming an increasingly
active partner in the international community, continues to be one of Japan’s most important foreign policy objectives.
To ensure peace
and stability in the Korean Peninsula is an important task, inseparable with
the peace and stability of the entire Asia Pacific. The Korean Peninsula Energy
Development Organization (KEDO) is one of those efforts. The issue of nuclear
weapons development in North Korea is not just an issue of regional security
but also a concern of grave importance for the international community from the
viewpoint of ensuring nonproliferation. ASEAN countries' further contribution
to the O projects through ASEAN's active efforts to tackle the problems would
be most ressive to the entire international community.
I look forward to
having a closer and broader dialogue with President Kim Young Sam, who will
visit Japan at the end of this month, on various issues including measures for
realizing peace and stability on the Peninsula.
Ladies and
gentlemen,
In the 21st
century, prosperous and open societies should be created in the Asia Pacific.
To that end, as I have emphasized today, Japan and ASFAN should address
squarely their respective challenges, based upon the preconditions of the US
presence in Asia and China' s further constructive participation in the
international community. In that process,, Japan and ASF.AN should reform their
cooperative relations . which have so far placed great weight on the economic
field, into broader and deeper ones suitable for the new era.
What I have
proposed as a concrete step are the following three: firstly, closer dialogues
at top level, secondly, multilateral cultural cooperation for preservation and
harmony of unique traditions and cultures, and thirdly, joint endeavours to tackle universal concerns such as terrorism
and the environment.
The path to the
next century and beyond will not be an easy one. It will bring us to many
challenges, one after another. But I believe that Japan and ASEAN, using their
great wisdom, virtue, and courage, will surely be able to complete this journey
to a better world.
Thank you.