U.S. military presence sought

U.S. military presence sought

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuter): ASEAN foreign ministers' talks,
dominated by a worsening rift between China and the United
States, ended yesterday with a call for a continued U.S. military
presence in the booming region.

The ministers also condemned French plans to resume nuclear
tests in the Pacific but another strategic worry, overlapping
claims in the South China Sea, were eased by an apparent shift in
China's stand on the disputed Spratly Islands during the week-
long talks.

"(A) continued U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific
region is vital. The United States is part of the Asia-Pacific
scenario," Philippine Foreign Minister Domingo Siazon said at the
end of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
meetings.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas told a joint news
conference convened by ASEAN's seven members and their seven so-
called dialog partners that a U.S. military presence in the
region was a "part of life".

"However, U.S. military presence need not take the form of
military bases. We welcome the United States' decision to pull
out of the Philippines," Alatas said.

ASEAN foreign ministers from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and newly inducted Vietnam, met
their so-called dialogue partners the United States, Japan, South
Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the European Union for
wide-ranging talks.

Asia's premier security conference, the 19-member ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF), which includes Russia, China and the
European Union, met on Monday.

While the meetings tackled a host of contentious issues, much
attention focused on talks between U.S. Secretary of State Warren
Christopher and his Chinese counterpart Qian Qichen.

At their Tuesday meeting, Christopher tried to reassure Qian
by reiterating Washington's one-China policy and he later told
reporters the talks had been useful.

But any hopes of a speedy recovery in bilateral ties were
dashed on Wednesday when Beijing announced that it had arrested
two American air force officials for alleged spying.

Sino-U.S. relations have plunged following China's anger at
Washington's decision to allow Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui
to make a private visit to the United States in June and
Beijing's arrest of American-Chinese activist Harry Wu.

ASEAN foreign ministers and their dialogue partners, however,
showed rare unity over France's planned nuclear tests at Mururoa
Atoll in French Polynesia from September to May.

The ARF meeting called for an immediate halting of nuclear
tests. Spanish Foreign Minister Javier Solana, attending in his
capacity as chairman of the EU Council, emerged as the sole
dissenting voice as he stood by France.

French Minister for European Affairs Michel Barnier defended
Paris' nuclear policy, adding that while France was aware of the
concerns in the region it would not reverse its decision.

The meetings also acknowledged China's decision to resolve the
ownership dispute over the potentially oil-rich Spratly Islands
by agreeing to abide by international laws.

The Philippines' Siazon said Beijing's position could open the
way for a settlement of the Spratlys' dispute, over which Manila
and Beijing fought a tense war of words recently after China
constructed facilities on Mischief Reef in the islands.