Asian Partners Should Help and Lead, Negroponte Says

Deputy secretary of state addresses U.S. Asia-Pacific Council

By Deidra Avendasora
Staff Writer

04/11/2008

Washington -- “America is a Pacific nation, and our prosperity and global stability are increasingly tied to that of Asia. The goal we seek, as we have for decades, is an Asia that is growing in peace, prosperity, and freedom -- and we will continue our work with Asia’s leaders and its people to achieve that goal together,” Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte says.

Speaking April 11 at a conference hosted by the United States Asia-Pacific Council in Washington, Negroponte pointed to three decades of peaceful relations between major Asian powers, economic successes in the region and the region’s increase in democratic governance as signs the region is thriving.

“These positive developments in Asia were by no means guaranteed, and indeed were no accident,” Negroponte said. He credited hard work by the people of the region and international economic and security organizations as factors facilitating the region’s growth.

“I see three major tasks that the United States faces in the coming decade as we look at Asia: (1) further improving regional cooperation to complement our existing bilateral security alliances, (2) promoting continued prosperity, and (3) accommodating rising Asian powers into the international system while also challenging them to assume global leadership on major international issues,” Negroponte said.

Negroponte applauded current security cooperation. He cited the Senior Dialogue between China and the United States as a forum through which the two nations discuss the full spectrum of global security and political issues, enabling “open and frank discussion on the broadest range of issues," including the Taiwan Strait. In a comment immediately following his prepared remarks, Negroponte said the United States supports talks between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Taiwan's vice president-elect, Vincent Siew, stating, “The best way to settle differences over the Taiwan Strait is by peaceful means, and we think that dialogue between the People’s Republic of China and the authorities, the leaders on Taiwan, is the best way forward.”

Looking to the future, Negroponte echoed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s call for a new regional security mechanism modeled upon the Six-Party Talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear activities.

“While the process of denuclearization is far from complete, we hope an eventual peace and security mechanism for Northeast Asia will form to institutionalize the security cooperation we are forging through the Six-Party process.  This would be separate from, but supporting, any peace regime that may emerge on the [Korean] peninsula,” he said.

Turning to economic relations, Negroponte discussed the Bush administration’s desire for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and its efforts to pass a free-trade agreement with Korea.

“As Asia continues to engage with the global community and Asian leaders focus on economic growth, the United States must continue its work to further knock down barriers to trade and investment,” the deputy secretary said.

Negroponte also advocated the further integration of Asia-Pacific powers into international institutions.

“Today, China’s booming economy is driving energy demand, yet it is not a member of the International Energy Agency.  For a number of years now, we have supported Japan’s permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council, so that the world’s second-largest economy can meet its broader responsibilities to uphold international peace and security,” Negroponte said.

Negroponte noted, however, that global influence and power come with responsibility.

“As we strive to solve major issues confronting the international community –- from climate change to preventing the spread of dangerous weapons – the United States looks increasingly to our partners in Asia not only to help, but to lead,” he said.

He called on Asian powers to take the lead in trade liberalization under the World Trade Organization's Doha Round and urged China to use its influence positively in Sudan, Iran and Burma.

The full text ( http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2008/April/20080411125228xjsnommis0.3452875.html ) of Negroponte's prepared remarks can be found on America.gov.

(USINFO is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.  Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)