Regional games could cloud free trade horizon

British newspaper Financial Times published an article not long ago saying the fast-growing Asian economy and the advancing regional cooperation there are ushering in the "Asian Century".

Meanwhile, the participants at a recent gathering of dignitaries from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) - known in China as the Northeast Asian Dignitaries Meeting, in Japan as the Chinese, Japanese and Korean Dignitaries Talks and in Korea as the 30 Korean, Chinese and Japanese Dignitaries Meeting - called on the three governments to begin negotiating the China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as soon as possible and take the leading role in creating the Asian Century.

Regrettably, however, there are still many real risks associated with a China-Japan-ROK FTA in Northeast Asia.