Leaders back plan for wider East Asian role

KUALA LUMPUR - Some East Asian leaders have sketched out a vision for a pan-Asian trading bloc by 2015 as a broader community in the region is built, Prime Minister Helen Clark says.

Helen Clark is one of 16 leaders who attended the first East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"Everyone recognises that these are early steps on a journey and when you embark on a journey like this you don't always know where it will end up, but what you know is that the process is positive," she said.

Leaders had agreed to meet annually, with the next summit to be held in the Philippines on the back of the Asean meeting, she said.

The EAS was made up of the 10 Asean countries plus Japan, China, South Korea, India, New Zealand and Australia.

Leaders yesterday signed a declaration which Helen Clark said was aspirational and forward-looking.

"There was a very positive attitude towards the summit and some leaders sketched out a very big vision for it."

It could eventually bring together a crop of trade agreements across the region, see more co-operation in areas such as security of oil supply and pandemic preparedness, and there was also reference to cultivating a dialogue across civilisations and faiths.

"Some leaders referred to the series of free-trade agreements which Asean's embarked on," the Prime Minister said.

"For example, one taking effect with Korea around 2008 and then each year through to 2012 you have agreements with China, with Japan, with India coming into effect and the aspiration of having one coming into effect with CER countries - Australia and New Zealand - in 2015.

"So the bigger question was posed, would we in 10 years time be in a position to link those all up as one large area?

"So there was aspirational discussion and people, I think, did feel enthusiastic about the vision of building a broader community."

She did not think the EAS and Apec would overlap.

"For New Zealand, what's been critical is to keep a link between the East Asia Summit and the concept of building a community in East Asia ... Apec's been very much focused on the economic aspects of regions. But this one has the potential to go rather broad."

Relations with Japan and China had been strained ahead of yesterday's summit because of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to a shrine commemorating Japan's war dead.

Helen Clark said that strained relationship did not overshadow the EAS. It showed the positive value of such meetings by giving "big and powerful neighbours" a place to meet and talk.

While in Kuala Lumpur, the Prime Minister announced that New Zealand would make a $400,000 grant to the Department of Animal Health in Vietnam to buy laboratory and protective equipment for use in Vietnam's fight against bird flu.

New Zealand would also give $200,000 to the Asia Development Bank for a project to harmonise aviation and security regulation in the Pacific.

- NZPA