Dismissing his ideas on other matters now becomes much more difficult. Thus, the World Bank and the IMF have effectively handed Asia legitimization for a regional bloc designed not only to facilitate intra-bloc trade, but also to create regional regulatory bodies to manage the capital flow in and out of the bloc. True, this would destroy the essence of Asia's free markets. But, as we have argued for a long time, the idea that Asia had domestic free markets was quite illusory to begin with. There is much mistrust of Japan in the rest of Asia.
Memories run long.
But if the Poles and Czechs can work with the Germans, be assured that southeast Asia can work with Japan - if the stakes are high enough.