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Asean must increase trade

SINGAPORE: Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon on Tuesday called on Asean members to increase trade and investments in Indonesia in order to boost its recovery efforts. Amid Indonesia's fluid political situation, the "main problem" there remained economic, Siazon told reporters. "Four the Asean the best solution is to have more trade with Indonesia, have more investments... if and when we are asked individually or collectively to support a process, then certainly we will be prepared to help," he said, citing Asean's assistance to East Timor on the request of Jakarta and the United Nations.ÑAFP

Chinese WTO membership good for US

BEIJING: US ambassador Joseph Prueher said on Tuesday Sino-US ties would benefit from China's membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), adding that Beijing wanted a good relationship with Washington. Prueher, a retired admiral who took up his post in December, added that both sides were still struggling to understand each other. A secure, stable and prosperous China is in the interests of the United States. The WTO accession is a step in that direction.ÑAFP