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CEBU : ASEAN leaders have signed a deal on trade and services with China, bringing them a step closer to establishing the world's biggest free trade zone by 2010.
Several other meetings on security, energy and trade have also been underway in Cebu.
On Sunday, China, Japan and South Korea held their first summit together in two years and issued a joint statement on North Korea.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the 10 ASEAN leaders launched a busy day of diplomacy in Cebu, by signing a deal to open up access to each other's markets.
The leaders agreed to liberalise trade in services ranging from tourism and telecoms, to energy and information technology.
Ambassador Victoriano Lecaros, Spokesman, 12th ASEAN summit, says: "I can't imagine taking our relations in those areas further without such an agreement."
Work began in 2002 to create a free trade area with China that will cover about 1.8 billion consumers.
China is ASEAN's fourth largest trade partner, and bilateral trade between them rose by nearly a quarter last year to US$161 billion.
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao says: "In the past year, cooperation in all fields has been carried out in a down-to-earth manner with obvious achievements. China is very satisfied."
This agreement between ASEAN and China comes at a time when more services have become increasingly mobile.
Along with new technology, the trend is likely to continue and open up more opportunities for the region when this trade in services agreement becomes effective in July.
The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea also held their first three-way summit in two years on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings.
Chinese Prime Minister Wen, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun expressed concern over North Korea's nuclear test last October.
They also called for "effective steps" to break a standoff in negotiations.
ASEAN leaders have also urged Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons programme for the sake of regional peace, security and stability.
On the issue of Myanmar, ASEAN leaders said in a statement that they must take responsibility for pressing Myanmar to reform.
The country recently escaped censure at the UN Security Council over its human rights record.
ASEAN has called on the military-ruled nation to free political detainees and "make greater progress towards national reconciliation". - CNA/ch
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