Europe presses Asia to open economies, boost demand

Taking advice from "Europe" on how to run an economy would seem to be a little silly.

The European Union’s planned free-trade agreement with Japan, for example, has hit a stumbling block over dismantling non-tariff barriers in the Asian country.

Is anyone really surprised? Countries have figured out Japan Inc's game -- sign the agreement but them subvert it with non-tariff barriers -- and are not gonna be fooled anymore.

herefornowNov. 07, 2012 - 11:56AM JST

Is anyone really surprised? Countries have figured out Japan Inc's game -- sign the agreement but them subvert it with non-tariff barriers -- and are not gonna be fooled anymore.

Exactly, Mercantilism should have been checked 30 years ago, when Japan and Germany brought it back into vogue, Unfortunately others in Asia have copied.

To the poster who says that Europe doesn't matter, wrong. Without access to European markets, because Asian economies are to busy protecting their own markets from their Asian rivals, most Asian economies crash. Without access to the Asian markets, Germany feels a little troubled, but it makes absolutely no difference to most European economies.

The US stands very much with the Europeans and without the US markets, as well as the European markets, Asia is well and truly........

Mh,seems to me that Europe is trying to convince other countries to support it,even if that could damage other countries economy. I think it's a double edge matter,if Japan help Europe and it fails Japan will eventually collapse with it. If Europe isn't helped,probably Japan will loose a great piace of market due to less selling in it.

Sometime I have a really problem with this slant view of who is protecting their economy.

If Japan was protecting her own economy then Japan wouldn't have set up various factories abroad within those states and just export. On the other hand you hadly see any European and/or other nation's companies setting up factories in Japan meaning that they are exporting from other facilities to Japan.

Mercantilism - still alive and well in Asia.

The world’s second and third largest economies China and Japan can play a strong role in the world system. Also, Japan was under attack from United States army until US army throw two nuclear bombs in two cities of Japan so it is the time for Japan which is from the top economies and China is from the top military can change the world by Asia Union (AU) like Europe Union (EU).

The US stands very much with the Europeans and without the US markets, as well as the European markets, Asia is well and truly........

vice-versa also, without Asia, the US & Europe are also well and truly...

Interestingly the EU and IMF boss Christine Lagarde kept 'educating' Asians how to drive their economies & on the hand kept milking sponsoring funds from Asia..

In an interdependent global economy these days, all products /services are fruits containing tangible parts & intangible knowhow, designs & services from many nations -- Chinese assemble & export the finished product iphones with added values / physical parts from plenty of countries -- The sweatshops exporting the finished products, good to see billions of dollars on the book, donot indeed make much value in the process !

When Japan & China have become the largest customers of LV handbags & sources of valued tourists..then come on show us what products / services to take on the Asian markets ? Perfumes, high end luxuous items & automobiles, what else ? Wines, Cheeses and weaponry ?

@AKBfan LOL, i think they're in fact more or less begging while trying not to lose fell but don't tell anyone i said that. That's free market for ya, it needs to be regulated all the time or the strongest wins