SINGAPORE: THE FOURTH ASEAN INFORMAL SUMMIT ENDS WITH MEETINGS WITH THE PLUS THREE GROUP OF CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA
Record ID:
648444
SINGAPORE: THE FOURTH ASEAN INFORMAL SUMMIT ENDS WITH MEETINGS WITH THE PLUS THREE GROUP OF CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA
- Title: SINGAPORE: THE FOURTH ASEAN INFORMAL SUMMIT ENDS WITH MEETINGS WITH THE PLUS THREE GROUP OF CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA
- Date: 25th November 2000
- Summary: SINGAPORE (NOVEMBER 25, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN OF ASEAN + CHINA SUMMIT 0.10 2. CU OF SIGN 'ASEAN + CHINA MEETING' 0.14 3. MCU OF CHINESE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI 0.20 4. SLV/SV OF ASEAN LEADERS AT THE ASEAN + CHINA SUMMIT (2 SHOTS) 0.29 5. LV OF PRESS CONFERENCE 0.33 6. WIDE OF CHINESE ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE 6. MCU (Mandarin) CHINESE ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI SAYING: "The South China Sea has been stable in the past years and a degree of stability has been enhanced. Currently China is in consultation with ASEAN countries on the formulation of a Code of Conduct in South China Sea, which will help promote mutual trust and peace and stability in this part of the world. Progress has already been made and we hope the work will come to a conclusion soon." 0.54 7. SLV/SV/LV OF ASEAN + JAPAN SUMMIT (3 SHOTS) 1.17 8. SLV OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY JAPAN PRIME MINISTER YOSHIRO MORI 1.25 9. MCU (Japanese) JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER YOSHIRO MORI SAYING: "I'm very pleased with the outcome of China Japan and South Korea summit here at ASEAN, it has been a great success and will contribute to regional stability and world peace, I am especially pleased with our agreement to pursue further cooperation in the economic and IT fields, areas fundamental to the development of the region in the 21st century." 2.11 10. SLV PRESS CONFERENCE 2.15 11. LV/SV OF ASEAN + KOREA SUMMIT (5 SHOTS) 2.46 12. LV OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SINGAPORE PRIME MINISTER GOH TOK CHONG 2.53 13. MCU CAMERAMAN 2.57 14. MCU (English) PM GOH CHOK TONG SAYING: "The North East Asians are talking about an East Asian Community and ASEAN members are also beginning to nurture such an idea however overtime, we can develop an ASEAN plus three process into some kind of an East Asian summit. It is something that is not going to happen immediately, it is something which requires futher study. But I can sense this desire on the part of the participants to start an East Asian community. I think it's for the good but this cannot be forced. This will take time and when we are comfortable of course, an East Asian community will come about." 3.34 15. LV PRESS CONFERENCE 3.35 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th December 2000 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SINGAPORE
- Country: Singapore
- Reuters ID: LVA49R6EHL8L6LZR8M38EAH6M86W
- Story Text: The fourth ASEAN Informal summit has ended with meetings
between ASEAN and the plus three group of China, Japan and
Korea.
ASEAN's fourth informal summit has ended in Singapore
with commitments from Southeast Asian countries to work
closely with Northeast Asia towards an eventual regional trade
block.
With China set to formally enters the WTO next year,
Southeast Asian countries have been keen to solidify trading
agreements with China, now the the destination for some 60
percent of foreign investment in Asia.
Speaking to the 10 members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the final day of a three-day
gathering, Premier Zhu Rongji said ASEAN had nothing to fear
from China on either the trade or the investment fronts.
ASEAN members are worried that China's low-cost industries
such as textiles and toys will become even more powerful
competitors once Beijing joins the World Trade Organisation
(WTO, probably next year.
China has also said it is working towards the
establishmentof a "Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality" in
the region.
Speaking after the ASEAN-China summit, Chinese Assistant
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was developing a "code of
conduct" fot the South China sea, the site of frequent
bickering by China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam".
"Currently China is in consultation with ASEAN countries
on the formulation of a Code of Conduct in South China Sea,
which will help promote mutual trust and peace and stability
in this part of the world. Progress has already been made and
we hope the work will come to a conclusion soon," said Wang
Yi, Chinese
Assistant Foreign Minister at a press conference after the
ASEAN plus China Summit.
Japan also held talks with ASEAN, where the focus of
discussions was on aid for information technology development
in the region and
But speaking after talks with ASEAN, Japanese Prime
Minister Yoshiro Mori said he was especially pleased with
plans to transform the ASEAN Plus Three into an annual "East
Asia Summit" including Japan, China and South Korea.
"I'm very pleased with the outcome of China Japan and
South Korea summit here at ASEAN, it has been a great success
and will contribute to regional stability and world peace",
Mori told reporters.
Speaking to reporters at the close of the summit,
Singapore Prime Minister Goh Tok Chong said ASEAN's discussion
with north Asia would reap benefits for the region.
"The North East Asians are talking about an East Asian
Community and ASEAN members are also beginning to nurture such
an idea however overtime, we can develop an ASEAN plus three
process into some kind of an East Asian summit," said Goh. "I
think it's for the good but this cannot be forced. This will
take time and when we are comfortable of course, an East Asian
community will come about."
An ASEAN study group will examine the proposal for a
free-trade zone and report back at next year's summit in
Brunei.
Potentially the plan is a major step toward the emergence
of a third global trading bloc to rival the European Union and
the North American Free Trade Agreement, which could be
expanded in coming years to Latin America.
The trend toward regional and bilateral trade alliances
has gained momentum since the acrimonious collapse last
December of ministerial talks in Seattle to set an agenda for
a new round of multilateral talks under the WTO umbrella.
ASEAN groups Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia plus Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia
and Vietnam.
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