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India Sunday took its burgeoning economic and strategic ties with ASEAN to a new level by agreeing to finalise a defining free trade agreement with the 10-member grouping this year, forging greater connectivity and closely cooperating with the region in areas ranging from agriculture and technology to energy, defence and counter- terrorism.
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Sunday proposed a new air route between Seoul and Shanghai to help ferry the growing number of passengers between the two cities.Yoon Seung-yong, spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, said Roh made the proposal at a meeting with China’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at the ASEAN summit in Cebu in the Philippines.
A Cebu City government official says that the ASEAN Summit will benefit the overseas Filipino workers, their families, and the young generation.Lawyer and Cebu City Council’s Majority Floorleader Jocelyn Pesquera who chairs the education, budget and finance committee said that the ASEAN Summit does not only benefit the country’s overseas workers but also those of its neighbors.
In an interview a few minutes ago, she said that the summit enables the Filipinos to showcase the best of the country’s hospitality and products.
ASEAN, China agree to cut barriers to services
China and Southeast Asian countries agreed on Sunday to cut barriers to trade in services such as telecoms, transport and tourism as a key step to the world’s most populous free trade zone.Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) that the agreement on services, “signifies that the development of a China-ASEAN free trade zone has taken a crucial step forward.”
Both sides expect the agreement, signed at a regional summit in the central Philippines, to trigger increased levels of trade and investment after its implementation in July.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh headed to two South East Asian business conferences Saturday with a goal of increasing India’s business ties in the region.“I am looking forward to this visit and to utilizing it to elevate India’s engagements in South East Asia to qualitatively new levels,” the Press Trust of India quoted him as saying.
Sultan welcomes the Asean Charter
His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday expressed pleasure that there had been significant progress in efforts to implement the decisions and programmes especially on the proposed establishment of an Asean Charter.The Monarch welcomed the move to bring forward the realisation of the Asean Community to 2015 as this would present greater opportunities, especially in attracting investment and business in the region, as well as to strengthen the economic relations with dialogue partners and friends.
The Sultan made these observations at the 12th Asean Summit now being held in Cebu City, Philippines. Along with the other heads of state and government of the Asean countries, His Majesty attended the summit held in Plenary and Retreat sessions chaired by the President of the Republic of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
China, Japan eye April date at ASEAN summit - Jan. 14, 2007
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit Japan in April, officials said on Sunday, in the clearest sign yet that relations between Asia’s biggest powers are on the mend.Wen and Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo used a regional summit in the central Philippines to firm up a timeframe for China’s first state trip to Japan in over six years and to forge closer ties with South Korea.
All Headline News - China-ASEAN Trade Pact To Start In July - January 14, 2007
Leaders of the 10 member-nations Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China on Sunday signed a deal expanding trade in services in the region.The economic ministers of ASEAN and China signed the agreement as both sides admit the trade industry worldwide have become increasing movable because of emerging technologies.
Analysts predict the trend would continue and provide wider opportunities in electronic banking, business process outsourcing, and postal services and the highly regulated transport sector. In fact the World Trade Organization forecasts trade in services to reach 20 percent of global trade.
East Asian leaders shelve differences to pressure NKorea
East Asian leaders have shelved differences to put pressure on North Korea as countries around the region prepared to wrap up days of diplomatic summits with their biggest meeting of all.Leaders from 16 countries including Southeast Asia as well as China, Australia and others will hold the second East Asia summit Monday, with talks expected on energy, disaster management, terrorism and other regional concerns.
China, Japan and South Korea held their first summit in more than two years Sunday, announcing a Tokyo visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao amid improving relations that have been strained by tensions over Japan’s wartime past.
In an unexpected sign of unity, the three forged a common front on North Korea — with China publicly joining the others in taking Pyongyang to task over concerns about its abductions of Japanese and South Korean nationals.