ABSTRACT
Economic cooperation must be a central pillar of the Community policies. It is certain that every Member State is expecting to gain economic prosperity from their participation in the Community activities. With a view to preventing any regional confrontation, the coverage of Community policies should be extended as broadly as possible so that any regional confrontation can be encompassed within the Community framework. Under the Draft Charter of the East Asian Community, the East Asian Community will have its own activities with a view to achieving its objectives. Some elements are supportive of the comprehensive approach when taking account of current circumstances in East Asia. First, this approach will contribute to rectifying an inherent defect in the present arrangements that support regional cooperation in East Asia. Two different approaches are used to decide the range of Community policy areas. One is a sector-based functional approach; another is a comprehensive approach with a broad range of policy areas.
