Arroyo joins call for freer Asia trade

Arroyo joins call for freer Asia trade

SINGAPORE (Reuters): Philippine President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo, in the middle of a three-day visit to Singapore on
Saturday, called for closer southeast Asian integration while
signing a number of bilateral deals with the city state.

Arroyo said the Philippines opposed any attempt to chip away
at southeast Asia's comparative advantage by the imposition of
arbitrary labor and environment standards, protectionist anti-
dumping measures and trade-distorting agricultural export
subsidies, she said.

"We are in favor of liberalized but orderly trade. Provided it
is fair and orderly, we are resigned to liberalized trade as
inevitable," Arroyo said in a speech to a business forum.

Arroyo is visiting the region with her economic ministers and
business leaders to foster trade links with member countries of
the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN).

The Philippines president argued that an integrated southeast
Asian market would be half the size of China in population but
equal to China in gross domestic product.

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

At a formal welcome lunch on Saturday, Singapore's Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong said regional integration and cooperation
was the best way to tackle the global economic slowdown and the
challenge of a resurgent China.

"While doing so, however, we must also look outward and forge
closer links with other economies," Goh said.

"Our past growth and prosperity have been built on the basis
of free and open trade with the world. We must maintain this
openness for our economies to grow," Goh said.

During her visit to Singapore, which began on Friday, Arroyo
signed a series of trade promotion agreements.

Under the agreement Singapore Airlines and Philippines
Airlines will raise the number of airline seats on routes between
both nations to 8,700 from 6,500 per week and allow more airlines
to fly these routes.

"This is one way by which we are showing you that we will help
push regional transportation arrangements in ASEAN for the end of
exchanging business, exchanging people, visiting one another,"
Arroyo said.

Arroyo is one of the three Asian heads of state currently
traveling through Southeast Asia to promote regional trade links.

As Arroyo leaves Singapore on Sunday, the new Indonesian
President Megawati Soekarnoputri will arrive on a 24-hour state
visit with a powerful trade delegation to promote business.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited Singapore
earlier in the week, calling for regional cooperation in
promoting bilateral and multi-lateral trade.