ASEAN 'must rethink' noninterference policy<\/p>\n
HONG KONG (AP): Southeast Asian nations battling a protracted
\nfinancial crisis will have to reassess their commitment of non-
\ninterference in each other's affairs, the commander of U.S.
\nforces in the Pacific said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Adm. Joseph Prueher, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific
\ncommand, said that \"if nations are participating in the global
\neconomy, it automatically means you interfere with another
\nnation's affairs.\"<\/p>\n
\"If you look at how political, economic and military issues
\nare irrevocably overlapped and tied together, you'd want to get
\ninto another nation's affairs,\" Prueher said in an address to the
\nAsia Society.<\/p>\n
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional group,
\nwill meet in Hanoi, Vietnam on Dec. 15-16 to tackle political and
\neconomic issues as member nations remain mired in recession.<\/p>\n
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore, Thailand, Laos, Burma and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Many member nations are seeking to stave off any discussion on
\npossible compromises over the ASEAN's founding principle of non-
\ninterference in members' internal affairs.<\/p>\n
Such proposals have come from the Philippines and Thailand
\nafter Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was fired and
\njailed on abuse of power and sex charges.<\/p>\n
Prueher said that the United States would remain \"heavily
\nengaged\" in the region in the event that the Asian economic
\ncrisis spins off into a security crisis -- as the overlapping
\nclaims over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea have
\nthreatened to become.<\/p>\n
The Spratlys are believed to be rich in oil, gas and minerals.
\nChina, Vietnam and Taiwan claim all of the Spratlys, while the
\nPhilippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the chain.<\/p>\n
Prueher said Washington was committed to seeing \"sovereignty
\nissues being solved peacefully,\" saying it \"would be involved
\nonly if freedom of navigation becomes an issue.\"<\/p>\n
Prueher said that U.S. military relations with China were good
\nand improving at a steady pace.<\/p>\n
He noted it was important for China \"to recognize the U.S.
\nwill honor its commitment to peaceful resolution of Taiwan
\nissues.\"<\/p>\n
China views Taiwan as a renegade province after Chiang Kai-
\nshek's defeated Nationalists fled to the island in 1949.<\/p>\n
When China test-fired missiles off the Taiwan Straits in 1995-
\n96, the United States sent in military reinforcements - prompting
\nsharp criticism from Beijing.<\/p>\n
Despite \"residual animosities\" between Japan and China,
\nPrueher noted a possible \"strategic constructive partnership\"
\nbetween Japan and China.<\/p>\n
He called the recent visit of Chinese President Jiang Zemin to
\nJapan \"a very good start, but not the success people hoped for.\"<\/p>",
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