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China and Asean negotiate free trade
Southeast Asian leaders are laying the groundwork for a proposed free trade agreement with China, but a deal could flood their own countries with cheap goods and damage the region's stagnant economies.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, attending a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan, and South Korea, says that China is an attractive market for Southeast Asian goods because it's so big.
However, he says, China is also now a big producer of all kinds of manufactured goods which are in direct competition to those manufactured in Southeast Asia.
Dr Mahathir says Asean members will have to insure that the influx of Chinese goods into Southeast Asia will not result in theirr own industries having to shut.
6/11/01 13:22:49 | ABC Radio Australia News
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