Unification of Asia: Collection of Voices
Unification of Asia: Collection of Voices
  • Yoon Yo-tam
  • 승인 2009.12.11 04:39
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Dr. Kim Hak-su, chairman of the Asia Economic Community (AEC) Foundation and Former ESCAP Executive Secretary

Asia takes up 40% of the world's land area, and 60% of the world's total population. Although Asia proved itself to be a great superpower after producing 23% of the world's GDP recently, unity is something Asia lacks. There was no Jean Monnet of the European Union to stand up to do the job, and there was no country to act as a catalyst either. However, Dr. Kim Hak-su, chairman of the Asia Economic Community (AEC) Foundation and Former ESCAP Executive Secretary commented, "Within fifty years, an Asian Union will appear and South Korea has the potential to be a promoter." In other words, the rise of an Asian Union is a sure possibility.

There are regional alliances and forums being held around parts of Asia already. For example, the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN), first started in 1967 by Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore has developed into a strong alliance of 10 nations. Seven countries including Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives are also taking part as a union through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), with headquarters in Iran, consists of 10 countries including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The Pacific Islands Forum, a yearly conference which started in 1971, is attended by 14 independent states and 2 autonomous regions.

Kim Hak-su, chairman of the AEC and Asia Economic Community Forum states, "It is only the Northeast Asian countries including South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, North Korea, and Mongolia that don't have an alliance. If we form a union to discuss topics of common interest like economy environment and energy, then other regional alliances will be able to join within 10 to 20 years."

Chairman Kim added that South Korea, China, and Japan should lead the process and emphasized South Korea as a strong candidate. Chairman Kim stated, "The three countries have a population of 1.5 billion and take up a sixth of the world's GDP and take up 70% of the GDP of Asia." If Japan or China were to rise and create the Asian Economic Union, there would be criticism about an attempt to gain hegemony, but in Korea's case, this wouldn't apply.

Chairman Kim said, "Just as all the Secretary Generals of the UN were from small countries, there is the expectation for Korea, as the last divided country that has achieved great economic development after a history of war and colonialism, to step up as a mediator for the Asian Economic Union. Chairman Kim, who served as Under Secretary General for the UN and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, and also played a crucial role in the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) projects, retired and took up his position as chairman of AEC. He stated, "I'm happy I had a chance to serve my country. I will use my years of experience at the UN to help Korea lead the Asian Union."

Asia, the Original Civilization

An interesting sight was caught on the last day of AECF when a Poet Kim Chi-ha and an author Guy Sorman carried on a vigorous discussion on the note of global value risk of East and West.  In spite of the 9,000 km distance apart between Seoul and Paris, they together concerned on the note of China's role and its limit in the world financial market, while in one voice they promoted the unification of Asia

China's Role in Asia in the Coming Decade

One of the consequences of the rise of China has been the rising expectations on China in the international society. This is especially the case since the outbreak of global financial crisis. All of a sudden, many in the world are looking for China to live up to its great power responsibilities to help the world come out of the financial crisis.

But concerning voices of the top economists and intellectuals at the AECF mostly agreed that China's domestic challenges such as urbanization, uneven development, and lack of knowledge and skills to tackle many of the world's problems all limit what China can do in regional affairs. The conclusion, therefore, was the Togetherness.

"Although China may not live up to excessive expectations of some people, China will not let down China's neighbors in its willingness to work together with them on a mutually respectful basis for a better and more promising Asia," said Jia QingGuo of Peking University.

In the end, we are striving to reach the same destination, Asia Economic Community, but how we are going to get there is the problem. A man who represents the East says we should reach the fair ground as many particles in the water that cannot be stopped from flowing, while a man who represents the West says that the unification must come from the Asian values that can satisfy the Westerners.

Right Mindset before Establishing Economic Community


A Man of the East

Poet Kim Chi-ha

How good is the Asia Economic Community if it cannot stop the wave of the financial crisis The relationship between money and mind has not been solved yet. This is the reason why there is economic crisis, culture crisis, and big chaos. One of the representatives of Eastern culture, poet Kim Chi-ha, said, "The reason why America has a financial crisis is they have the wrong mindset in the monetary system."
Kim quotes Buddha's teachings by saying that the mind has both gold and excrement inside. The Avatamska Sutra says, "Don't be greedy, even though there's dust all over you." Through this quotation, Kim asserts about the communication and exchange with mutual benefits.

"For example, in Kyrgyzstan, there are traditional markets which date back 2000 years at mountaintops 1500m high. Uzbekistan's biggest Samarqand Bazaar, Korea's five-day-bazaar, Turkey's bazaar, and Vietnam's Dong ba Market all have kept the long lasting history of mutual benefit markets. This is the reason why I believe Asia is the foundation of civilization," Poet Kim Chi-ha added.

Kim portrayed, "The first spring water of the entire human civilization is Asia. We need a true mutually benefitted world where a moon reflects differently to a thousand river and where the universe (mind) is alive even in a tiny dust (money)."

A Man of the West

Guy Sorman, expert of conflicts in politics, culture, science, and philosophy

Author Guy Sorman stated, "With the next generation value system, we will avoid conflict between the U.S. and China.

"China's economy depends heavily on other countries, so their renovation ability is limited. So they are not considered a strong country yet. And China's model of politics is unattractive, so China did not export the common value to other countries yet. Currently, China has a stable position, however China has to worry about a civil war breaking out. And the lower classes will only give the elite class the political power only in the case that they receive economic benefits with the country's rapid economic growth.

On the other hand, America has entrepreneurship scholastic superiority and the position of dollar currency which allows to export American value to other countries and makes them a global leader.

Guy Sorman stated, "The real freedom of choice and gender equality must be involved in the Asia value. When this is accomplished, Asia's value becomes to be the real voice and the Asia stable alliance must embrace China in order to make Asia more stable and make the world more harmonized.

Asia Economic Community, What Do Cosmopolitans Say

Guy Sorman points out inevitable interdependence between western and Asian economies, and implied the fragility of the connection.  He suggested starting an "Asian Project" with a whole new Asian paradigm, which can replace western capitalism and individualism.

EU Integration Model can be imported to Asia

Gerald Roland, professor of Berkeley

Professor of Berkeley Gerald Roland suggests that the two key ingredients for the success of the European Union were a deep political will among European countries to create an institutional structure creating commitment for peace, and the community method of decision-making where countries delegate to the European Commission the exclusive power to make proposals for further integration.  In the context of Asia, historical events after World War II have prevented a reconciliation between Japan and China and a political will for integration like existed in Europe is absent. The Community method can be introduced in Asian supranational organizations but the absence of a strong political will for integration will not make it as effective as in Europe.

Let's Begin Asia Project


Guy Sorman strongly suggested that the only place where a new power can rise and save the greedy capitalism, which is prevalent through out the world, is Asia.  At the same time, however, he criticized the lack of power and effort by Asian countries to replace the dominant but wrong and old financial system.  The solution for this, he suggested, was the unification of the Asian countries.  A whole new project would have enough congregated power to change the current dominant system.  The first step that should be taken by Asian countries is to create the conglomeration of the whole Asian countries.  Like European Union, Asia needs enough power to confront the old power.  Also, he suggested watching China, the biggest country with biggest population in Asia.  The democratization and politics of China will determine how China will lead Asia.

Without Education, Asian Community is Incomplete

In Europe, the EU has been successful in systematically developing students' mobilization beyond borders through the Erasmus Program and the Bologna Process, which as greatly contributed to developing the international competency of schools in the EU countries. Can the same be said about Asian universities  Kiyofumi Kawaguchi from Ritsumeikan University says, "In Asia, Japan, South Korea, and China are trying at last to promote the internationalization of universities as their national policy. The next step is to organically link the universities of these three nations as a consortium, for the purpose of boosting the international competency at universities within the East Asian region." Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University launched the Global 30 Project for the purpose of selecting core universities for receiving and educating foreign students. It was designed to increase the number of foreign students from the current 120,000 to 300,000 by the year 2020.

As Many have quoted, Asian Economic Community has already been existing. Some question, "Will a growing equalization of power lead to conflict between the United States and China" Many countries' power have risen and changed in the world since World War II. Have them all led to conflict in history Strengthening Asian Economic Community is not about rising China that fuels expectations on what China can do in the region. It is about creating a better and more promising Asia on a mutually respectful basis to push everyone's economy. The community must grow and more forums are expected to make it happen in the upcoming years.


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