Senior officials from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met one day ahead of the arrivals of heads of government and economic ministers for the 4th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) informal summit and sessions with leaders from China, Japan and South Korea.
Malaysia has expressed fears over members entering into FTAs with countries outside the region, maintaining they could weaken the long-planned ASEAN Free Trade Area.
"When we do something outside the context of ASEAN that could weaken the association, we need to think twice," said Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar on Tuesday.
"We are weak as individual nations but as a group, we are strong," he said. "If we are divided, this could lead to a negative effect."
Singapore, which has been particularly zealous in pursuing FTAs, maintains such pacts are not at the expense of broader free trade. The Ministry of Trade and Industry said through FTAs, Singapore hopes to encourage others to see the advantages of such arrangements and "create a contagion effect."
The Singapore has signed FTAs with New Zealand and Japan and is pursuing others with Mexico, Canada, Australia and India. Its agreement with the United States at last week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum conference to enter into talks on an FTA was praised by the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council.
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji may also be exploring the possibility of a free-trade zone with ASEAN and China during the leader's summit November 24-25.
"China stands ready to explore the possibility of setting up links with the ASEAN Free Trade Area or of creating a free-trade zone between China and ASEAN," said an official with the Foreign Ministry's Asian Department in Beijing.
Summit host Singapore is eager to ensure the gathering demonstrates greater economic integration despite political problems hounding the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Resurgent Western pressure on Myanmar over forced labour also threatens to drive a wedge through ASEAN.
"There are now more than 100 regional and bilateral FTAs in the world," the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.
"So, multi-lateral and regional trade agreements have become a trend," he said, noting such arrangements were not evenly distributed.
China had previously expressed caution that bilateral and regional FTAs could create exclusive trading clubs.
The official said there was no need for concern that FTAs would undermine a fresh round of global trade talks under the auspices of the World Trade Organization.
"The U.S. is willing to form FTAs with other countries, but is concerned when other countries form FTAs among themselves," he was quoted as saying.
(la/dpa)