Rudd to host Asia Community meeting\
John Kerin·
Prime. Minister Kevin Rudd has written to regional leaders to win support for his Asia Pacific Com- munity initiative as...histattention returns to diplomatic issues closer to home now the threat of the global financial crisis is receding.
Mr Rtiddhas urged leaders from the 10 member Association of South-East Asian Nations,tIle US, Russia, India, New Zealand, China, South Korea and Japan to support
an.Australian-sponsored.conference
on the initiative to be staged in early December in Sydney.
He returns to the diplomatic circuit next week, when he is expected to use meetings with world leaders at the East Asia Summit in Thailand and then the Asia-Pacific Economic Co- operation forum annual summit in November to argue his case.
Mr Rudd has also been invited to give an address at the East Asia Summit on reforming regional architecture and will" be
accompanied by his special envoy
on the initiative, former diplomat Richard Wooleott.
Although the financial crisis has meant Mr Rudd has been more focused on reform of the inter- national financial system through
Kevin Rudd, left, with Richard WooicoH ••• diplomatic challenge. Photo: ANDREWTAYLOR
the Group of 20 since he abruptly launched the Asia Pacific Com- munity idea last year, he has also raised the issue in bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the G20.
The conference to be held from December 3-5 is expected to involve about 140 senior government officials, academics and business
people from across the region. The government is also expected to release a "concept paper" which will provide more detail on Mr Rudd's push to establish a single overarching body in the Asia-Pacific region which includes the US and deals with the gamut of economic and security challenges.
It's understood that 15 months
KEY POINTS
• Asian leaders have been invited to a Sydney conference in December.
• Once controversial, the pact seems to be gaining some support.
• Richard Woolcott is optimistic.
after Mr Rudd unveiled the contro- versial proposal, most governments in the region are now at least open to it. He came under heavy initial criticism at first from some coun- tries - including Indonesia, India and Singapore - for hinting the Asia Pacific Community could resemble the EU.
Australia was also criticised for failing to consult other regional governments. The.reaction promp- ted the government to dispatch Mr Woolcott to consult with up to 30 regional countries to insist Aust- ralia's plan was not prescriptive and Canberra was keen for their input.
The.most difficult countries were
Singapore, which was concerned the APC would usurp the primacy of ASEAN, and Malaysia, which expressed reservations about whether a new body was needed .
Despite : strained relations . between China and Australia over
the Stern Hu affair and Chinese investment in Australia, Beijing has agreed to deal with the APC as a multilateral issue.
However there are some concerns in Washington over Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama revealing a competitor. proposal to the APC, which would establish an East Asia grouping that would exclude the United States.
Mr Wooleott, who has just returned from his second-trip to the United States, insisted yesterday the
"proposal was moving along well".
"What we are seeing is a growing recognition in the region that secur- ity and economic power is shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and that a body is needed to deal with the outstanding challenges,"
Mr Woolcott said.
He said no one could accuse Australia of trying to impose archi- tecture on the region or attempting to usurp ASEAN.
"Australia's vision for an Asia
Pacific Community has never been prescriptive ., .We have actively sought the views of other countries and acknowledged ASEAN plays a prominent and important role in the i
region," Mr W oolcott added. !
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