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Article: Japan: saying no. (Asia)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- November 19, 1994
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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AT LEAST one country is delighted by the outcome of the APEC summit. Earlier this year, Japan had feared a confrontation between ambitious trade liberalisers, notably America and Australia, and APEC's more protectionist Asian members. This would have presented the Japanese with something they hate: being forced to choose between their alliance with the West and their growing economic bonds with Asia. This week's compromise--APEC will liberalise, but at a leisurely pace--has let Japan off the hook for the moment.
But not for ever. Trade is only one subject on which the forum's Asian and non-Asian members disagree; there are also arguments over human rights and ...