Asian Diplomacy

If the major goal of foreign diplomacy is to promote fruitful exchanges among members of the global community, what role should Japan play and what goals should it aim for in the realm of Asian diplomacy?

Who are the players involved in Asian diplomacy?

By attempting to answer these questions, Japan inevitably must address another key issue: "What is Asia to the Japanese people?"

In this special section, we introduce three views on Japan's Asian policy, penned by the new president and two committee members appointed to The Asahi Shimbun Asia Network (AAN).

Gong Ro-Myung, a former foreign minister in South Korea, was named AAN's third president in October. He was joined by new committee members Kazuo Ogura, president of the Japan Foundation, and Waseda University professor Satoshi Amako.

Hopes for Japan start with being a good neighbor 　 (Gong Ro-Myung,　Former South Korean foreign minister )
Asian Charter would establish basis for unity of purpose 　 (Kazuo Ogura,　President of the Japan Foundation)
Diplomacy is too important to leave to professionals 　 (Satoshi Amako,　Waseda University professor )