Japan's trade ministry desires to create an "East Asia" free trade zone. It should include southeast Asia, China, India and Australia. Japan has stepped up its aspiration of free trade agreements in recent years. However, progress has been slow, with negotiations often embarrassed by Tokyo's desire to protect the nation's agriculture industry. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is likely to soon open a proposal calling for the aspiration of a massive 16-nation trade zone, which include Japan, the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. ‘We want to conclude negotiations by 2010,’ said the deputy director for METI's economic partnership division, Takeshi Fujimoto. ‘Both trying to launch such negotiations as well as trying to conclude them might be considered ambitious,’ he added.

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