亚洲领导人试图建立欧盟形式的经济体

Asian leaders meeting in Thailand are discussing plans to "lead the world" by forming an EU-style community by 2015.

泰国举行的亚洲领导人峰会正在商讨2015年以前建立一个“引领世界”的欧盟形式的共同体。

Officials said the East Asian nations would carry out a feasibility study for a freed trade zone

Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama argued nations should take advantage of the region's more rapid recovery from the recession than the West.

"It would be meaningful for us to have the aspiration¹（热望，渴望） that East Asia is going to lead the world," he said.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are meeting other regional heads at Cha-Am beach resort.

Increased integration²

The community would involve the 10-members of Asean with regional partners China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, Japanese officials have said.

Officials said the East Asian nations would carry out a feasibility study（可行性研究） for a huge free trade zone.

But there was debate at the summit over whether the community would also include the United States.

Increased integration has been a recurring³（返回，循环） theme of the meetings in Thailand, as the region seeks to capitalise on its recovery from financial turmoil⁴.

On Friday, the leaders officially launched a new human rights watchdog.

Correspondents say the new commission is in part a response to criticism that the region is soft on human rights abuses by member nations such as Burma.

But observers have queried⁵ whether it will have sufficient powers to make a real difference.

Anti-government protesters forced the cancellation⁶ of the previous attempt to hold the summit in April.

Around 18,000 troops and dozens of armoured vehicles have been deployed⁷ to ensure this summit passes off smoothly⁸ - with another 18,000 on standby or on duty in Bangkok.