Posted on 08/22/2007 9:20:47 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Japanese PM calls for 'arc of freedom' spanning Pacific
Wed Aug 22, 4:12 AM ET
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a new four-way "arc of freedom and prosperity" with India, Australia and the United States on Wednesday in a speech to the Indian parliament.
"A new broader Asia that broke away from geographical boundaries is now beginning to take on a distinct form," said Abe, who began a three-day visit to India on Tuesday.
Japan is working to ensure that "a region called the 'arc of freedom and prosperity' will be formed along the outer rim of the Eurasian continent," Abe told Indian lawmakers.
"The strategic global partnership of Japan and India is pivotal for such pursuits to be successful," he added.
"By Japan and India coming together in this way, this 'broader Asia' will evolve into an immense network spanning the entirety of the Pacific Ocean incorporating the United States of America and Australia," he said.
The backbone of the four-way strategic and economic alliance would be the sharing of basic values such as freedom, democracy as well as economic clout, Abe said.
"Open and transparent, this network will allow people, goods, capital and knowledge to flow freely," the prime minister told Indian lawmakers.
Abe also called for the early conclusion of a "high-quality economic partnership" with India and forecast a more than doubling of trade between the two nations to 20 billion dollars in three years from eight billion currently.
His remarks came after top Japanese and Indian commerce officials at a business forum vowed to see the partnership pact realised by December.
"India and Japan need to jointly meet the challenges of the new economic architecture," Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said, adding he would work to ensure "this agreement by the end of the year."
Abe, who is accompanied by nearly 200 top Japanese executives, was slated to meet Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh later Wednesday to discuss a number of investment projects including a New Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor.
Abe is due on Thursday to meet the son of the late Radhabinod Pal, the lone judge who dissented at the Allied tribunal that condemned to death war-time Japanese leaders.
"Justice Pal is highly respected even today by many Japanese for the noble spirit of courage he exhibited during the International Military Tribunal for the Far East," said Abe, whose grandfather was charged but never tried for war crimes.
Abe has dismissed suggestions that meeting Pal's son would anger other Asian nations resentful over Japan's war-time atrocities.
This is an open challenge by Japan to China. Sure, this kind of idea has been around for a while. However, it has not been openly and unambiguously spelled out by a head of state.
Ping!
Game-changing speech (though many have seen it coming for years)!
Nit. He’s the head of government, not the head of state.
In Japan, the Emperor is the head of state.
Screw Europe. Go west young man, and throw in the smaller Asian tigers too.
Still, isn't the head of government on the de facto seat of power? The head of state, IIRC, is just ceremonial.
This will be interesting.
I’ve been thinking the same thing for the past 5 years now.
Asian alliances are our future. Europe is our past.
We’ve seen how we’re treated and viewed by our NATO allies, Poland, UK, Czech Republic excepted, and those are not the kind of Allies we need in a war they do not understand or have experienced first hand. The EU is attempting to crush American business through legal decisions in Brussels what they cannot compete with in the open market.
Europe is not where our growth is to be had but a mature market that’s becoming overregulated, over politicized and downright inhospitable at times.
Meanwhile India wants to be Japan, U.S. or Austrailia in terms of standard of living. It is the most populous democracy on Earth. We are closer ideologically to India than China and we both have a shared history of British Colonization.
These 4 countries have a ton of potential alliance wise and I can’t wait to see the screams of protest if there’s ever a proposed FTA with India.
:-)
IMHO I think the US should create a alliance of English speaking nations mainly, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, then add India and former British colonies in the Caribbean to form a trading bloc with common language, economic and military goals. I see Canada, and Australia for resources, Caribbean for light industries, India for manufacturing/ITT (buttress against China and Islam), Britain is our point man in the EU, while the US is the military/leadership. We would be like the British Empire but lead by US power.
I forget about the Eastern European countries. They are indeed allies. I will admit with Merkel and Sarkozy in there, Europe is getting better. I don’t have an opinion on the UK guy yet. Too bad Aznar is gone from Spain, and I think the same for the Italian leader who’s gone now too.
Even so, I see more understanding right now with the ‘arc of freedom’ countries than western Europe, who to me is going to become more of a rival in years to come. They are self destructing anyway, we need to cast our lot with nations that are moving ahead.
Tear down this wall style...
Aren’t they going to let North Korea join the club?
Trans-Pacific Trans-Indian Ocean alliance ping!
It would be interesting to see Japan and India join ANZUS, or revive SEATO without European countries.
IPTO - Indo Pcific Treaty Organization :)
the NATO of the 21st century.
Or perhaps the “Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” as a name...
Excellent news. The chicoms must be contained.
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