PHILLIPINES: East Asian leaders meeting in the Philippines have signed an energy pact aimed at reducing reliance on oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions but fail to set targets

East Asian leaders meeting in the Philippines have signed an energy pact aimed at reducing reliance on oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions but fail to set targets. Asian countries discussed an energy security pact on Monday (January 15) that seeks to reduce oil dependency and greenhouse gas emissions, but without specific targets. Southeast Asian chiefs along with the heads of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand held their second East Asia summit in a more constructive atmosphere to last year as Beijing and Tokyo used the meeting to further mend ties. The 16 countries, representing half the world's population and a fifth of global trade, also discussed North Korea's nuclear ambitions, financial integration, disaster mitigation and bird flu. But the centre-piece of their talks, held amid a whirl of Filipino pageantry on the central resort island of Cebu, was an energy security pact that seeks to reduce the region's dependence on costly crude oil and help stave off climate change. Unlike the European Union, however, which last week unveiled ambitious energy proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent, the leaders, who run some of the most polluted nations on earth, offered no concrete targets. The leaders also united in support of enforcing U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea after its atomic and missile tests last year, and of the six-party talks aimed at inducing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapon ambitions. The Philippines, which holds ASEAN's rotating chairmanship, raised the spectre of a regional nuclear arms race in talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions on Sunday (January 14). Arroyo expressed concerns that Japan may also be tempted into developing nuclear weapons in response to North Korea's tests on October Both Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and China's Premier Wen Jiabao are vying to influence ASEAN as it becomes a more integrated political and economic bloc. Abe, fresh from a tour of Europe where he pitched a more assertive diplomatic stance, highlighted Tokyo's desire to play a more prominent security role in the region by agreeing to support Southeast Asian maritime security. Meanwhile, China and ASEAN earlier agreed to slash barriers on trade in services such as telecoms and transport, which Wen said is a "crucial step" toward creating the world's most populous free trade area. In Cebu, riot police used batons and shields to hold back hundreds of left-wing protesters outside Arroyo's official residence in the port city. It has been the only significant incident at the summit after a series of bomb blasts last week in the south blamed on Islamic militants. Demonstrators from left-wing pressure groups chanted anti-American slogans and burned the American flag, accusing the United States of interfering in Southeast Asia. Scuffles broke out between protesters and riot police in the Philippines on Monday (January 15) as Asian leaders gathered to thrash out agreements on an energy pact, and security on the Korean peninsula. In another protest, up to 500 demonstrators from across the country marched through Cebu city. Light scuffles broke out between demonstrators and security staff after a police blockade stopped the crowd from marching to the meeting venue at the Cebu International Convention Centre (CICC). The crowd was rallying against what they say is America's heavy influence in the region, and trade deals agreed to by ASEAN leaders during the summit. "Despite the very tight security preparations, we were able to hold the rallies, we were able to get our message across against the U.S. war on terror, against the counter-terrorism convention, against the free trade plans of the ASEAN. So we claim this as a victory. The marches will continue not just during the ASEAN, even after in future meetings on terrorism and trade," said protest leader, Renato Reyes from the left-wing pressure group, Bayan. A 13,000 strong security force has been deployed in Cebu during the meeting, with check-points set up on major roads and searches set up at the meeting venues. ASEAN chiefs along with the heads of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand discussed an energy security pact on Monday (January 15) that seeks to reduce oil dependency and greenhouse gas emissions, but without specific targets. The 16 countries, representing half the world's population and a fifth of global trade, discussed North Korea's nuclear ambitions, financial integration, disaster mitigation and bird flu. ASEAN groups together Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ITN Source | January 15, 2007

Tags:. .reyes. .rallying. .peninsula. .tempted. .dependence