Asia, alone among the regions of the world, lacks a co-operative forum with continental reach. Instead of an umbrella organisation, it has a bewildering array of sub-regional groups that reflect its historic diversity but do not adequately mould the growing forces of economic integration and incipient regional identity.

This could change, beginning today, when the leaders of 10 Southeast Asian countries meet their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand for the first time in what is being called, inaccurately, an East Asia Summit.

Earlier this year, when Asean, the Association of South East Asian Nations, invited the three non-East Asian states - India, Australia and New Zealand - to join the inaugural summit, they defined East Asia not as an exclusive geographical entity but as an inclusive zone that would extend its connections based on substantive relations and interests.

Nonetheless, there remains much for the heads of government to decide this week if they really want to create the framework of an Indo-Pacific community centred on East Asia.

Should Russia be admitted as a member, as Moscow has requested, since two-thirds of Russian territory lies in Asia? Should the European Union be granted observer status, opening the way for the United States to become an observer in future, or even a member if it signs Asean's friendship treaty, as close ally Australia did in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday? Joining the treaty, as New Zealand did earlier this year, is a condition for participating in the East Asia Summit.

Will leaders of the new Indo-Pacific group meet annually, and set up a secretariat, to help give its work momentum and direction? What will the core activities of the group be? India wants the 16 countries to focus on economic integration with the aim of creating the world's biggest free trade area of nearly 3 billion people.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who is hosting the summit talks, said at the weekend that a study was under way to explore the feasibility of an East Asian Free Trade Area involving Asean, China, Japan and South Korea. "As for the other friends of Asean, like Australia, India and New Zealand, it is only natural to eventually have free trade agreements with them."

Asean, Australia and New Zealand are negotiating a FTA while Asean is talking about a similar accord with India. In the long-term, these deals could be meshed together to form an Indo-Pacific FTA. But there are many barriers to closer economic and political ties. Asean and its Northeast Asian partners - China, Japan and South Korea - will have to decide in practical terms whether to enlarge their East Asia enterprise to encompass new members outside the region.

Enlargement could dilute East Asian goals and weaken the pivotal role of Asean. However, it may be a way to cushion the presently poisonous relations between China and Japan.