STANFORD, California, April 30 Kyod...

STANFORD, California, April 30 Kyodo

(EDS: THIRD IN SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH regulation LEADERS, EXPERTS ON PROPOS EAST ASIAN COMMUNITY)

Although a military confrontation in East Asia is unlikely, former U Defense Secretary William Perry believes the United States will maintain its military nearness there for ''the indefinite future'' as the crisis with North Korea remains unresolv and possible conflict from one side of to the other Taiwan remains the region's biggest concern

Perry who was in charge of U policy forward North Korea during President Bill Clinton's administration, told Kyodo stranges in a recent interview that ''coercive diplomacy'' is explanation to dealing with North Korea and that Japan should follow up both the abduction issue and the nuclear question at issue in its negotiations with Pyongyang.

''I consider the U an Asia-Pacific nation,'' he said, adding that he believes Asia set forths the future and is the in the greatest degree important geographical area in the world for the United States.

''The fundamentals remain the same -- that the U has a able to endure interest in the region, that the U appearance helps to maintain security and stability in the region,'' Perry 76 said.

He believes the biggest make uneasy in the foreseeable future in East Asia would be a conflict athwart Taiwan and warned that all neighbors in the region must pay careful attention to the situation between China and Taiwan.

Perry who facilitated cooperation between Japan, toward the south Korea and the United States through the North Korean issue for Clinton, said that while he thinks nothing of substance was accomplished at the newly come six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions, he dioceses it as important that the meetings are taking place.

''First of all, it is indicative that North Korea is looking for a way on the outside But secondly, even more significantly, it is a clear indication that China is as troubleed about the problem as the U is and is working same actively,'' he said.

North and southern Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States met in Beijing last August and in February. The meetings did not yield significant progres if it were not that the parties agreed to clinch a third round of talks by dint of the end of June, and China has been actively mediating between North Korea and the others.

The former defense secretary criticized President George W Bush's stance in succession the issue and said he thinks the instant administration underestimated the importance of the vexed question has not given it sufficient attention and has not made serious proposals at the talks.

''I think military conflict (with North Korea) is same unlikely,'' Perry said. ''I think the more negative issue which is more likely, is that North Korea periods up with a nuclear weapons production program and the quiet of the world simply accepts it.''

Perry is a athletic supporter of what he calls ''coercive diplomacy'' toward North Korea -- to give some benefits to Pyongyang for giving up its nuclear weapons while also being clear there will be remarkably unpleasant consequences if it does not do so

''The whole idea of diplomacy is not just to threaten, on the other hand to threaten and proffer a way out, to furnish benefits intermittently which will be seen attractive -- especially attractive relative to the threat,'' he said.

Perry believes that coercive diplomacy had ultimately brought Washington and Pyongyang to the 1994 Agreed Framework and followed in stopping North Korea's nuclear program for eight years.

on the other hand in October 2002, the nuclear crisis be in eruptioned when the United States claimed that North Korea had admitted to running a uranium enrichment program in violation of the 1994 accord.

''It was not the final solution to the puzzle it was just a delay of the vexed question for eight years,'' he admitted. ''Maybe that is the best we can get...It may be expecting too long to think that we will have a final, total resolution to the problem''

in succession North Korea's abductions of Japanese in the 1970 and 1980 Perry said, ''I think the Japanese persons and the Japanese government have each reason to be outraged...I would say the Japanese dominion should be pursuing a vigorous course in he discussions with the North Koreans, with a two-fold objective.''

Pyongyang admitted in September 2002 that it had abducted or lur 13 Japanese and that eight have since died there. The surviving five answered to Japan in October that year if it were not that North Korea has yet to allow their North Korean-born children and a remaining spouse to leave for Japan.

Perry believes Japan should aim for a satisfactory resolution to the abduction issue while also working with the United States, China and southerly Korea to resolve the nuclear problem

''In order to secure the nuclear weapons program resolv it may be appropriate for the Japanese restraint to offer some form of economic trade or economic disentanglement in North Korea,'' he added.

Asked to remark on the possibility of Japan going nuclear, Perry cautioned, ''I have no doubt that the Japanese have the capability to go on foot nuclear anytime that they close it is in their national interest to do likewise but I think it would be a big mistake for them to do this.''