From: news@netnews.upenn.edu (USENET News System)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino
Subject: US and EC Trade Blocs Good for Asia
Date: 27 Jul 92 15:33:51 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.filipino
Organization: University of Pennsylvania


	MANILA, Philippines (UPI) -- The United States and the European
Community told Southeast Asian ministers Friday their respective efforts
toward building regional trade blocs would mean more, not less, business
for Asian companies.
	In opening statements before talks with foreign ministers of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, representatives of both groups
also called on Asia to further open its markets to Western goods and
services and pledged support for the stalled Uruguay Round of trade
talks.
	ASEAN ministers have expressed concern that the single European
market, scheduled to be launched by the end of this year, and plans for
a free trade agreement across North America would cut into Asian
exports. The two regions are major markets for Southeast Asian goods.
	The six countries -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand -- pledged earlier this week to push ahead with
plans for an ASEAN free trade zone, partly to offset other regional
trading blocs and what they said was growing Western protectionism in
general.
	But Robert Zoellick, U.S. undersecretary of state, told the ministers
Friday the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement would present
more opportunities for Asian manufacturers and exporters.
	``A more competitive North America will be more willing to maintain
and strengthen our booming Pacific trade,'' he said. ``We have no
intention of being a big island.
	``To the contrary, I think we need to consider seriously how to
liberalize trade throughout the Pacific,'' he said, adding the
governments should see if free trade zones in ASEAN and North America
could ``complement one another.''
	British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd, whose country holds the EC
presidency, said ASEAN-EC trade was booming and that trend would expand
with the unification of the European market.
	However, talks on a major treaty between the European Community and
ASEAN to increase trade between the two groups have been scuttled
because of protests from Portugal on human rights violations in
Indonesia.
	``We (the EC) are not ... building a wall around what we are
constructing,'' Hurd said. ``ASEAN is important to us, and we will
continue to develop our dialogue to our mutual benefit.
	``Our economic links are our strengths and we must all avoid a
growing threat from trade frictions.''
	The European Community and the United States pledged to step up
efforts to finalize the stalled Uruguay Round of the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade.
	A disagreement between the two on agricultural subsidies is
considered the main factor blocking agreement on the talks to lower
tariffs and bring services under free trade rules.
	``We have made more progress over the past year (on the impasse) than
many people recognize,'' Zoellick said. ``We have no intention of giving
up.
	``Yet, to be ultimately successful, many of you (ASEAN countries)
will have to improve your offers on access for goods and services too.''
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino