AFP-East Asia seeks new era of coop

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Subject: AFP-East Asia seeks new era of cooperation as crisis wanes

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Saturday, November 27 7:53 PM SGT=20
East Asia seeks new era of cooperation as crisis wanes
MANILA, Nov 27 (AFP) -=20
East Asian leaders gathered for a summit in the Philippines on Saturday, =
hoping to boost their global clout by building a new era of free trade =
and security on the foundation of recovering economies.

Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nationsplus =
China, South Korea and Japan will meet Sunday as Asia bounces back from =
financial turmoil but faces festering territorial disputes threatening =
future peace and prosperity.

Included on the agenda are plans for a regional free trade area, =
emergency financial support from Japan, and a study on harnessing the =
economic potential of information technology.

But hopes the summit could defuse tensions in the South China Sea were =
dashed before most leaders arrived as Beijing made it clear it was not =
ready to sign a "code of conduct" with ASEAN members which claim all of =
part of the disputed Spratly islands.

ASEAN heads of government convened an informal meeting Saturday evening =
and then dined with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, President Kim Dae-Jung =
of South Korea and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

Talks between ASEAN and its powerful northeastern neighbours will follow =
the group's summit on Sunday.

Only Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, busy with last-minute =
campaigning for Monday's general election, will be missing from Manila.

Presidents and prime ministers here made the most of their free time =
Saturday, holding a flurry of meetings.

Summit host, Philippine President Joseph Estrada, threw ASEAN's support =
behind Japan's bid to nominate its former vice finance minister, Eisuke =
"Mr. Yen" Sakakibara, as the new head of the International Monetary =
Fund.

East Asian nations still smarting from the economic crisis would like to =
highlight their fledgling recovery and rising global influence by =
installing one of their number at the IMF to succeed Michel Camdessus of =
France who retires next year.

Last year the region fought for the compromise which saw Thai Commerce =
Minister Supachai Panithpakdi confirmed as World Trade Organisation =
chief from 2002.

ASEAN officials say the group will ask Japan to set up a =
quick-disbursing emergency fund to help countries which suffer from =
payments problems similar to those experienced during the crisis.

Japan plans to outline its own aid plans on Sunday, officials said.

Japanese officials have made clear in Manila that they welcome a move by =
ASEAN to forge closer cooperation with northeastern neighbours.

"This in a way is an East Asian summit," said an official, who briefed =
reporters late Friday.

While economic issues are predominant, security matters, among them =
Indonesia's fight against separatism, are also weighing on the minds of =
the leaders.

China's Zhu and South Korea's Kim both strongly backed Jakarta's battle =
for unity, particularly in troubled Aceh province, at separate meetings =
with Wahid.

"Both leaders support the territorial integrity of Indonesia, that was =
mentioned very strongly by both leaders," Indonesian Foreign Minister =
Alwi Shahib told reporters.

Zhu also basked in the glory of China's deal with the United States on =
World Trade Organisation membership.

"China is now enjoying ever growing ties with the world economy and it =
will stick to the basic policy of opening to the outside world," he told =
a business conference, adding that Beijing was no longer under pressure =
to devalue its currency due to resurgent exports and rising investments.

Ministers present at a first ever joint meeting of ASEAN trade, finance =
and economic ministers on Friday said they were surprised at the frank =
and open discussions.

ASEAN is often lambasted by critics as a toothless organisation as its =
policy of non-intervention in member states' affairs can preclude =
discussion of controversial issues like human rights or democratisation, =
in military-ruled Myanmar for example.

Some members like Thailand and the Philippines now argue that due to the =
crisis and events like the intervention in East Timor, the alliance must =
develop and discuss matters that affect collective security.

ASEAN groups Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, =
Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is attending his first ASEAN summit =
since his country became a full member of the grouping last year in =
Hanoi.



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Saturday, November 27</B> 7:53 PM =
SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>East Asia seeks new era of cooperation as crisis=20
wanes</FONT></H2>MANILA, Nov 27 (AFP) -=20
<P>East Asian leaders gathered for a summit in the Philippines on =
Saturday,=20
hoping to boost their global clout by building a new era of free trade =
and=20
security on the foundation of recovering economies.</P>
<P>Leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nationsplus =
China,=20
South Korea and Japan will meet Sunday as Asia bounces back from =
financial=20
turmoil but faces festering territorial disputes threatening future =
peace and=20
prosperity.</P>
<P>Included on the agenda are plans for a regional free trade area, =
emergency=20
financial support from Japan, and a study on harnessing the economic =
potential=20
of information technology.</P>
<P>But hopes the summit could defuse tensions in the South China Sea =
were dashed=20
before most leaders arrived as Beijing made it clear it was not ready to =
sign a=20
"code of conduct" with ASEAN members which claim all of part of the =
disputed=20
Spratly islands.</P>
<P>ASEAN heads of government convened an informal meeting Saturday =
evening and=20
then dined with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, President Kim Dae-Jung of =
South=20
Korea and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.</P>
<P>Talks between ASEAN and its powerful northeastern neighbours will =
follow the=20
group's summit on Sunday.</P>
<P>Only Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, busy with =
last-minute=20
campaigning for Monday's general election, will be missing from =
Manila.</P>
<P>Presidents and prime ministers here made the most of their free time=20
Saturday, holding a flurry of meetings.</P>
<P>Summit host, Philippine President Joseph Estrada, threw ASEAN's =
support=20
behind Japan's bid to nominate its former vice finance minister, Eisuke =
"Mr.=20
Yen" Sakakibara, as the new head of the International Monetary Fund.</P>
<P>East Asian nations still smarting from the economic crisis would like =
to=20
highlight their fledgling recovery and rising global influence by =
installing one=20
of their number at the IMF to succeed Michel Camdessus of France who =
retires=20
next year.</P>
<P>Last year the region fought for the compromise which saw Thai =
Commerce=20
Minister Supachai Panithpakdi confirmed as World Trade Organisation =
chief from=20
2002.</P>
<P>ASEAN officials say the group will ask Japan to set up a =
quick-disbursing=20
emergency fund to help countries which suffer from payments problems =
similar to=20
those experienced during the crisis.</P>
<P>Japan plans to outline its own aid plans on Sunday, officials =
said.</P>
<P>Japanese officials have made clear in Manila that they welcome a move =
by=20
ASEAN to forge closer cooperation with northeastern neighbours.</P>
<P>"This in a way is an East Asian summit," said an official, who =
briefed=20
reporters late Friday.</P>
<P>While economic issues are predominant, security matters, among them=20
Indonesia's fight against separatism, are also weighing on the minds of =
the=20
leaders.</P>
<P>China's Zhu and South Korea's Kim both strongly backed Jakarta's =
battle for=20
unity, particularly in troubled Aceh province, at separate meetings with =

Wahid.</P>
<P>"Both leaders support the territorial integrity of Indonesia, that =
was=20
mentioned very strongly by both leaders," Indonesian Foreign Minister =
Alwi=20
Shahib told reporters.</P>
<P>Zhu also basked in the glory of China's deal with the United States =
on World=20
Trade Organisation membership.</P>
<P>"China is now enjoying ever growing ties with the world economy and =
it will=20
stick to the basic policy of opening to the outside world," he told a =
business=20
conference, adding that Beijing was no longer under pressure to devalue =
its=20
currency due to resurgent exports and rising investments.</P>
<P>Ministers present at a first ever joint meeting of ASEAN trade, =
finance and=20
economic ministers on Friday said they were surprised at the frank and =
open=20
discussions.</P>
<P>ASEAN is often lambasted by critics as a toothless organisation as =
its policy=20
of non-intervention in member states' affairs can preclude discussion of =

controversial issues like human rights or democratisation, in =
military-ruled=20
Myanmar for example.</P>
<P>Some members like Thailand and the Philippines now argue that due to =
the=20
crisis and events like the intervention in East Timor, the alliance must =
develop=20
and discuss matters that affect collective security.</P>
<P>ASEAN groups Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, =
Singapore,=20
Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines.</P>
<P>Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is attending his first ASEAN summit =
since=20
his country became a full member of the grouping last year in Hanoi.</P>
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