Asia?s biggest powers meet next week for a summit that could sow the seeds of a pan-Asian trading bloc ? or just as easily end in a puff of hot air. These are the outcomes diplomats are pondering as they prepare for the inaugural East Asia summit, where countries representing about half the world?s population and a fifth of global trade will meet in the Malaysian capital on Dec. 14. The summit brings the world?s two most populous nations, China and India, together with Asia?s largest economy, Japan, Southeast Asia, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand for a get-together whose outcome still seems a mystery to all of them.

?At this stage we do not know how it is going to evolve,? Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told parliament in Canberra. The Malaysian hosts insist the summit will not be a ?talk shop?, but diplomats say words rather than action are likely to be the order of the day, at least for the first gathering. A free-trade area could take decades to achieve, if ever. That leaves plenty of room now for leaders to try to steer the agenda, with Japan, Australia and India viewed as eager to turn the grouping into a ?community? that could pursue deeper economic integration and potentially a giant free-trade area.

China and most Southeast Asian nations are viewed as reluctant to create an Asian club on such a grand scale, fearing it would overshadow their existing annual get-togethers, organised by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN states like Malaysia do not want their 38-year-old grouping to be suddenly enveloped by a larger club of giants.