Overcoming obstacles to East Asia community

As the 10-member Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) pledged last Saturday to build an ASEAN community by 2015 and approved a blueprint for a landmark charter to upgrade the 40-year-old group, there have also been talks about a broader based "East Asia community".

The concept of an East Asia community remains a beautiful ideal. In 1990, the second year after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum was established, the then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad proposed the "East Asia Essential Caucus". It did not become a reality due to the US' objections and Japan's recoil.

The past 16 years have witnessed great changes and new developments in East Asia.