In search of a truly regional community

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's vision of an East Asian community, which he has been putting forward ever since he took office, has attracted wide attention.

At the 4th East Asia Summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, over the weekend, leaders said regional cooperation will be built in the spirit of openness and tolerance, with respect for diversity.

Hatoyama proposed the idea at the Second China-Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) Summit in Beijing on Oct 10, too, and said the first step toward building an East Asian community was to strengthen regional economic integration among the three countries.