[War] "Shaping Asia" Part Two

[Chazenesq2b at aol.com]

"Shaping    Asia"

President  Xia Hong
People's Republic of China

President Nemerenko
Russian Federation

Prime Minister Shunichi Sato
Japan
================================================

Nemerenko  graciously accepted the tea.  "My government of course puts a 
great deal of  importance on  these talks.  We hope that through mutual 
cooperation  we can create a stable and efficient road map for
the future of  Korea."

Xia nodded.  "I'm sure an understanding can be reached on  Korea, though I 
hope this conference will not be limited solely to Minister  Cheng's government 
or country.  There is much we can accomplish as each  of     our countries 
have much to gain through  cooperation."

Sato's interest was piqued by that.  "What sort of  things did you have in 
mind?" he asked conversationally  as he too sipped  at his tea.  "Not to get 
ahead of  things before our Korean friends  arrive."

"Well I believe it's time we consider moving  beyond Asean, away from an 
organization intended to address  the  specific concerns of South East Asia, to a 
broader Union of all Asian  nations.  Russia certainly has a
stake in the economic development of  Asia, at least as much as it does in 
Europe.  Likewise it's about time we  began to integrate, to be able to deal 
diplomatically and economically with the  West as equals."

If Sato had not been Japanese and  a politician his  jaw would have dropped.  
That was quite the proposal, and here he had been  expecting a photo op and a 
chance to meet the other regional leaders.

Xia  Hong obviously had other things in mind.

Fortunately another aspect one  learned being  a successful Japanese 
politician was flexibility.   Knowing his  staff would be feverishly churning things 
over in their  heads to advise him when he had a moment, he
pressed for more  details.

"How much integration are you suggesting?" he asked.   "Something like an 
Asian version of NAFTA or as   far reaching and  revolutionary as the EU?"

Xia smiled, she'd figured the air would  have been sucked out of the room and 
the proposition, along with all  those  gathered, would have died from shock 
and hypoxia.  She was only  partially right.  "Well I understand
there is a great deal of confidence  building that must be made before hand, 
but in the time our governments have  been running we've resolved long 
standing territorial disputes,  responded  to humanitarian crises,  and  cooperated 
on a level previously thought  unimaginable given the blocks put in place 
between us over history
and  alliances.  Yet we've prevailed."   She took a sip of her own  tea.

"I don't think any of us are prepared just yet to make the commitment  to 
each other that the European  nations have made among  themselves, but it's 
likewise important to remember even the  EU started off as a   simple trading 
alliance between two  nations.  I would like to start us down a road, taking the 
first few steps,  if we are ready."

Sato smiled.  "We're here aren't we?" he  said it wasn't a yes or a no.  This 
was new ground after all, and it paid  to be cautious.  However somewhere 
deep under years of  control   he was   curious.  Was Xia Hong  offering this in 
good  faith?  If so, then this could very well be one of the defining  moments 
of the century,  though on the other hand, a healthy dose of  skepticisim, 
born of a life time of China as the enemy, one of  those  blocks Xia had spoken 
of, kept him from giving into it.

Nemerenko sat  silently, not saying anything.  He waited patiently for others 
to  voice their opinions.

There was a long silence following the Russian's  non-reply and Hong was not 
taking the moment to speak      so, eventually Sato  did.

"What sort of trade agreements did  you have in mind?" he asked.  "And would 
they be  bi-lateral, Russia to   China, Japan to China, or would we all be  
agreeing to the same set of terms?"

"I would hope that all parties  could agree to an identical framework through 
which we can work, and modify  as needs may dictate.  Nor was  I aiming to 
confine such an agreement  to our nations, though as the   leaders of the 
Pacific's greatest  powers,  I felt it important to gauge your reactions first."  
She  offered truthfully, deciding it best that, if the two Korean 
representatives  would not make themselves present, to  continue on anyway.  She sat  down, 
passing to each of the leaders a bound copy of the  agenda.  "If your
governments are receptive, it would be  a  great incentive for other nations 
to join  us."

Nemerenko looked over the agenda.  It posed serious  concerns for him.  
Russia was a European nation, not  an Asian  one.  Russia did more trade with 
Germany or France than it did China  or Japan.   Increased trade
with the two Asian powers  was something he was all for, but he had no 
intention of linking  his state into   some sort of East Asian version of the EU.   
Not to mention that to this day he still regarded China and its   leaders, for 
all their value, with great suspicion as a potential  adversary.  
Particularly after the debacle involving the failed  non-aggression pact.

"An increase in trade is of course welcome,"  observed the Russian President. 
 He braced himself for extreme  acrimony.  "As is the idea of more open 
diplomatic  cooperation.  But Russia is a European  country, not an Asian  one.   
And right now the Federation is not in a position to  consider membership in 
any form of  supranational union, be it this or  the EU."

It occurred to Nemerenko that he may have just  marginalized his position;  
if Hong had gathered them here  with  the hidden intent to sell this idea, then 
she might simply  dismiss Russia with condescension as    somehow being  
useless to their plans.  And he knew from experience she had a  low personal 
opinion of him, especially when he  disagreed  with    her.

"I fully support and endorse your  idea," he  added.  "It has worked for 
Europe and it can work for Asia.   And   Russia will  be  happy to  be a partner 
to  such  an   organization. But not  a    member."



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://esteroic.com/pipermail/war_esteroic.com/attachments/20070909/4739cc8b/attachment.html