CEBU CITY—Southeast Asian leaders have expressed their “continuing concern” over the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, and have called for a dialogue between the contending parties in Iraq to pave the way for national reconciliation in the war-torn country.              

The leaders aired their concern during the 12th Asean Summit, President Arroyo said in her statement as summit chairman released on Sunday.

“We expressed our continuing concern over instability in Iraq and the Middle East,” she said.        

The leaders “called for dialogue between all contending sides, to secure national reconciliation in Iraq, and a durable and equitable settlement between Israel and Palestine, consistent with the relevant United Nations resolutions.”              

They made the call in the midst of a new US policy on Iraq unveiled by US President George W. Bush last week, deploying 21,500 more troops to the country.         

In a news conference after the Asean Summit on Saturday, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi warned that the new US policy is likely to cause even more violence in Iraq, rather than reduce it.             

Asked to comment on Bush’s pronouncement, Badawi said: “I don’t agree. I thought the US would be reducing the troops in Iraq now that there is a government in Iraq. I know that they have some sectarian problems in Iraq and there’s still violence in Iraq, but I do not believe that the US, by increasing its military force by 20,000, that the situation would improve. It might just lead to even more violence.” He added that “it is important that we all realize, that the US realizes, that resulting to military action has not provided the solution.”        

He noted that Americans themselves are unhappy with Bush’s decision, apparently referring to commentaries and surveys on the matter, which showed great public disapproval for increased troop deployment to Iraq. 

“Even in America, the Americans themselves have begun to demonstrate in many ways that they are not happy with the move,” Badawi said.

CEBU—Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) signed on Sunday a framework agreement with China on trade in services (TIS), a key move toward a future free-trade agreement (FTA) between Beijing and the regional bloc.

CEBU CITY—Southeast Asian leaders have expressed their “continuing concern” over the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, and have called for a dialogue between the contending parties in Iraq to pave the way for national reconciliation in the war-torn country.

CEBU CITY—President Arroyo said on Sunday that the 12th Asean Summit has broken “new ground” and has brought the regional grouping closer to its envisioned “formidable bloc” with the endorsement of a blueprint for an updated charter, and fresh pacts on security, migrant workers and trade.

CEBU CITY—In what is considered a “very major step” by one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, China on Sunday agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Asean on an Asean-China center on trade, investment and tourism promotion.

The economic managers said on Friday the country’s macroeconomic underpinnings this year should prove significantly stronger than originally assumed, one where local output or the gross domestic product were to quicken to as high as 6.1 percent from the  expectation of just 5.8 percent.

ANOTHER apparent money-making scheme by telecommunications companies already raking in multibilllion net profits each year has consumers up in arms, and a consumer advocacy group has asked the National Telecommunications Commission to immediately stop two of these telecom giants from imposing expiry dates on free text allocations and free airtime loads, which would begin Monday.

THE government may grant the appeal of power firm STEAG AG for a new power supply agreement in view of its proposed capacity expansion of up to 100 megawatts to 50 megawatts for the 210-megawatt Mindanao Coal power plant.

HONG KONG—China’s leading pharmaceutical giant is set for a battle with multinational companies (MNCs) as it opens its branch in the Philippines next month, banking on the growing popularity of Chinese medicine and alternative treatments.