N.Z. premier suggests desire for U.S. involvement in regional bloc+

TOKYO, Oct. 30 Kyodo -
Visiting New Zealand Prime Minister John Key indicated Friday that it would be
preferable if the United States is included in regional blocs such as the one
advocated by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
At a press conference in Tokyo a day after meeting with Hatoyama, Key called
for ''expanded dialogue'' on the merits of Hatoyama's initiative, dubbed an
''East Asian community,'' saying that there could be potential gains in
creating such a bloc depending on the players involved.
Hatoyama pitched his proposal at a recent summit meeting in Thailand involving
the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as Australia,
China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. He told reporters afterward
that he does not intend to exclude the United States from such a grouping.
On Friday, Key said his answer to the question of U.S. involvement ''depends on
whether an East Asian community...is an addition to the current regional
architecture or a replacement.''
His thinking on Hatoyama's proposal would be influenced by whether the grouping
was aimed at replacing existing arrangements, the New Zealand premier said,
adding there would be merits to a grouping that also includes the United
States, China and India.
On a proposed free trade agreement between Japan and New Zealand, Key noted
Tokyo's concern about the impact that agricultural exports from New Zealand
would have on Japan's agricultural sector.
But he urged Tokyo to begin negotiations on the accord, saying that New
Zealand's agricultural production is not large enough to challenge that of
Japan.
==Kyodo
2009-10-30 23:37:04