Indonesian president: ASEAN should be strengthened to counter China and India's rise

Updated:2006-03-19 23:55:48
Indonesian president: ASEAN should be strengthened to counter China and
India's rise
ap
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
should be strengthened to counter the growing clout of regional
powerhouses China and India, Indonesia's president said Monday.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made the remarks after meeting with
Singaporean President R.S. Nathan, who is on a four-day official visit
to Indonesia.

"ASEAN must be more solid and stronger to play a proper role in the
region," he said, without elaborating. "We are now seeing the emergence
of other powers in the region, among them China and India."

China and India, two Asian giants whose economies are surging, are not
members of ASEAN, but both are seeking to improve their political and
economic relations with the regional grouping.

ASEAN member states are eager to strengthen their ties with both
countries to benefit from their immense markets.

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


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03/19/06 23:52 EST

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