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Clark sees scope for building links with Asia

Clark sees scope for building links with Asia Prime Minister Helen Clark says the East Asian Summit she has just attended in Malaysia could lead to significant regional "community building". New Zealand and Australia attended the summit this year for the first time, invited by the 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) members because of their economic links and contributions to development. Miss Clark said today the summit had presented "tremendous opportunities" for personal contact with the leaders of the Asean nations. She said she held bilateral talks with the leaders of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and several

South Korea Expands Role in East Asia

South Korea Expands Role in East Asia President Roh Moo-hyun returned home Friday after wrapping up a Southeast Asian tour in which he tried to strengthen South Korea’s economic ties with nations in the region and expand the nation’s role in building an East Asian community. While seeking ways of improving the country’s relations with Malaysia and the Philippines, Roh tried to play a leading role in the ASEAN+3 Summit and the first East Asian Summit (EAS) in Kuala Lumpur. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. ``The tour has largely contributed to the promotion of the nation’s interests and

East Asia meet gives warm fuzzies, but function vague

East Asia meet gives warm fuzzies, but function vague The East Asia Summit meeting Wednesday took the first step toward stronger political and economic cooperation in a region of 3 billion people, but failed to clarify a distinct framework for an "East Asian Community" the participating leaders promised to create. Also left unanswered was how the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Three (Japan, China and South Korea) would differ from that of the East Asia Summit. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was upbeat Wednesday about discussions on the matter at future summit meetings. "The unity of the participants

East Asia summit ends with Japan-China handshake

East Asia summit ends with Japan-China handshake East Asia’s first summit of leaders ended on Wednesday with an agreement to hold annual talks on strategic issues such as trade and security — and a rare handshake between the leaders of Japan and China. The gesture, after months of feuding between Asia’s two biggest economies over their wartime past, came after 16 leaders signed a declaration calling for annual talks on issues that also included health scares such as bird flu and energy security. “We have all agreed that East Asian community will be a reality in the future,” Malaysian Prime Minister

Singapores Tiger Airways seeks to block Qantas/Jetstar Asia cooperation

Singapores Tiger Airways seeks to block Qantas/Jetstar Asia cooperation Budget carrier Tiger Airways said it has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to reject a proposed cooperation between Qantas Airways and newly-merged Singapore-based budget carriers Jetstar Asia and Valuair. While Tiger Airways in principle does not object to reasonable cooperation between airlines, it has expressed its concerns about a proposed cooperation agreement between Qantas and Jetstar Asia/Valuair, a spokeman for Tiger Airways said. The proposed agreement would give Qantas effective control of the network, pricing and products of Jetstar Asia/Valuair, he said. Tiger Airways is concerned that by