Japan, China to work together on creating 'East Asia community'

[FarCenter]

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009

SHANGHAI (Kyodo) Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, agreed Monday that the two countries will work together toward the creation of an "East Asian community" for closer regional cooperation.

Okada expressed the hope that the initiative will make the 21st century the "era of Asia."

During talks in Shanghai, Okada and Yang did not discuss details of the envisaged community, such as which countries would be invited to join, but Yang said China would want the grouping to promote regional cooperation in energy and the environment, according to a Foreign Ministry official.

Okada and Yang also agreed to advance the two nations' "strategic and mutually beneficial relations" and to continue addressing pending issues such as food safety and the dispute over developing gas fields in the East China Sea, the official said.
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http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090929a3.html

[anonymous171]

1. Asian coprosperity sphere redux. nt

[Art_from_Ark]

2. China has rare earth elements

Japan wants rare earth elements. Thus, cooperation is needed.