From the Times of India:
In a move that is considered to send shock waves around the world, Japan and China have proposed a plan to create an “East Asian Community,” similar to the European Union, which could make a fierce force to reckon with and which would also improve economic and political relationships in the region.
The proposal is its initial stages and it could include visa-free travel, public health, energy and the environment. In the later stages of the proposal, it is being said that political issues and common policies on defence and agriculture would also play a major part.
The alliance could become a big force in future, as Japan is currently the second-largest economy in the world, while China is in third place. It is also said that India would also join the league.
According to reports, Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama put the proposal to Chinese president Hu Jintao during their first meeting, in New York on September 21. The issue was again discussed during Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, in Shanghai last week.
