Thailand: Thai business leaders applaud Japan's East Asia Free Trade Zone proposal.

(From Thai Press Reports)

Section: General News - Thai business leaders have welcomed a Japanese proposal to create an East Asian Free Trade zone to integrate economies in the region, but they were sceptical about whether Japan would liberalise its sensitive agricultural sector, the Bangkok Post reports.

If Japan's idea comes true, they said, it would help countries in the region overcome the "spaghetti bowl" effect of proliferating bilateral free trade agreements with different trade rules.

Last week, Japan proposed the formation of a vast Asian economic free trade zone that would cover about half the global population and rival the European Union …