The concept of an East Asian Community -- a broad regional grouping that would bring together countries in East Asia and other areas in economic, political, security and other fields of common interest -- took a formal step toward realization last Wednesday at a summit meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Leaders of 13 countries -- the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Japan, China and South Korea -- signed a declaration calling for joint efforts to create such a community. Participants at this first East Asian Summit, which was attended by India, Australia and New Zealand, also signed a separate document stating that the summit should play a major role in forging the community.

However, the half-day meeting put off discussing the details of carrying out this project, such as how the East Asian Community should be developed and what countries should become its members. ASEAN and Japan, China and South Korea -- the so-called ASEAN-Plus-Three -- agreed to issue a second joint statement on East Asian cooperation in 2007, spelling out the future direction of the community.

Given the inexorable dynamics of globalization, achieving peace and prosperity through regional integration is a defining trend of the 21st century. East Asia is now beginning to follow in the footsteps of pace-setting regions: Europe, which created the European Union 12 years ago, and the Americas, which maintain the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).