28 Mar 07 - Workshop on Building the East Asian Community

On Wednesday 28 March 2007, the International Institute for Strategic Studies will host a one-day workshop on "Building the East Asian Community". 

Where is the East Asia Summit process heading?  The East Asian Community remains in its formative stages of development.  Critics claim that two summits have not clarified the basic objectives of the embryonic grouping, and even less have they suggested concrete ways to implement effective policies.  Many countries in the process are united over economic goals and integration, while security objectives remain more delicate and event divisive.  There is scant interest in trying to deal with the hard power questions of security on the Korean Peninsula, the Cross-Strait issue, non-proliferation and terrorism, and far more attention paid to non-traditional issues.  Given that the U.S. security role in the region remains the dominant factor with respect to hard power, it may be logical to focus on soft security issues such as maritime security, energy security, and disaster response and mitigation.  Moreover, taking incremental steps forward among regional powers such as China and Japan may support the creation of durable security community with the Asia-Pacific.  Of course this begs the question of who is a member of that community, and the issue of an inclusive or exclusive process remains a source of considerable debate.  This workshop will help to discuss the future course of the East Asia Summit process with respect to economic integration and security cooperation.  Taking this conversation to London and by extension, to Europe, provides a useful juxtaposition for thinking about the possibilities for long-term integration as well.

 

 

                                  Director of Studies, IISS

 

 

Chair:                       Mr Bill Emmott

                                  Former Editor, Economist

 

Speakers:               Mr Kazutoshi Aikawa*

                                  Director, Regional Policy Division

                                  Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 

                                  Dr CHIN Kin-wah
                                  Deputy Director
                                  Institute of Southeast Asia Studies

 

                                  Research Director

                                  East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore

Discussant:            Dr Guibourg Delamotte

                                  Researcher

                                  Asia Centre, Paris

 

 

 

Chair:                       Dr Tim Huxley

                                  Director, IISS-Asia

                         

Speakers:               Dr Seung-young Kim

                                  University of Aberdeen

 

                                  Keio University                    

 

Discussants:         Professor Shaun Breslin

                                  Warwick University

 

                                  Dr Axel Berkofsky

                                  Associate Professor, Milan University and Associate Policy Analyst, The European Policy Centre

 

                                  Stanley Foundation

                                  Executive Director, IISS-Washington

 

                                  Director of Studies, IISS