Asia: A New Alliance, and More Help for Viet Nam

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"We do not come here to band ourselves against any people or nation," asserted Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman last week to some 80 delegates from Japan, Malaysia, Nationalist China, Australia, New Zealand, South Viet Nam, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea. Rather, their purpose in gathering in flag-festooned Seoul was, he said, "an alliance for the advancement and prosperity of our peoples."

In three days of talks hosted by South Korea's President Chung Hee Park, the nine nations agreed to form a loose association to be called the Asian and Pacific Council. Eschewing a formal treaty, ASPAC's founders modestly limited their aims to consultation on economic and cultural matters. But it was the kind of friendly grouping that could develop into a new Asian and Pacific bloc in the United Nations. The foreign ministers will assemble again next year in Bangkok. Meanwhile, committees will weigh the feasibility of such cooperative ventures as a common commodities and fertilizer bank and a pool of technicians to be shared among the nine.

From the start, ASPAC's founders aimed at standing aside from the direct anti-Communist struggle in Asia, even though all its members are nonCommunist. One reason was to ensure participation by the Japanese, who are both dubious about the Viet Nam war and anxious to increase their trade with Red China. Thus at Seoul the final communique last week expressed "sympathy" with South Viet Nam's plight, affirmed the nation's right to freedom "from external aggression and subversion," and "noted with satisfaction" the aid being given by other nations to help Saigon's war effort. But at the behest of the Japanese delegates it did not go so far as to overtly condemn Red China or pledge joint aid to South Viet Nam.

But four of ASPAC's members already have combat troops in the field in South Viet Nam: South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and, of course, South Viet Nam itself. Last week the Philippines made it a majority. Both houses of the Philippine Congress approved the assignment of a 2,000-man Philippine force to Viet Nam. The units, one of engineers and one of security troops, are already in training and will likely report for duty next month.