Is there any lingering resentment over World War II, or fear of a Japanese empire?
Bello: I think there is still the fear that Japanese economic power might at some point be translated into political and military power. And I shared that fear, just a few years ago. But that fear has diminished in recent years. There is a stronger sense there are very strong constraints in the Japanese public that have been built up over 50 years and a very strong restraint against a militarization drive. There is also a perception of Japan as in a few years going into demographic decline. MM: Some of the formal APEC discussions have focused on sustainable development. How do you see these discussions unfolding? Bello: I think that has been mainly a concession to pressure from environmentalists and some governments, like the Philippines, who are demanding that APEC not be just about trade liberalization. One of the working groups in APEC is on the environment, just like there is one on biotechnology and a number of other very urgent issues that do not really impact on the central APEC
