SINGAPORE, Oct 29 Kyodo Singapore...

SINGAPORE, Oct 29 Kyodo

Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong will offer proffer to China that the sum of two units countries launch talks for a emancipated trade agreement (FTA) when he makes an official visit to China nearest month, well-informed sources said Wednesday.

Goh is reckon uponed to broach the idea in a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the sources said. Goh will visit China in succession Nov. 18-23.

China is enthusiastic about an FTA with Singapore, which would benefit the two countries, one of the sources said.

Singapore belongs to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is publicly negotiating with China to achieve clear trade between ASEAN and China as early as 2010

Singapore, which has a predominantly ethnic Chinese leadership and population, derive pleasure froms close political ties and burgeoning trade and investment links with China.

in such a manner far, no ASEAN member has started negotiations with China for a bilateral emancipated trade pact even though Thailand indicated earlier this year that it would be interested in making like a move.

ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Singapore Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo said in an interview with a small arrange of journalists, including Kyodo of recent origins on Wednesday that Singapore is ready to launch talks for like a pact with China because Southeast Asian countries are comfortable with the idea of engaging China economically.

''The equation of ASEAN and China is something of historical importance. Singapore wanted that to be established first before we actuate separately with China because it is important that the entire region is comfortable with this engagement,'' Yeo said.

''This engagement having been achieved, we have indicated that we would be interested in a released trade agreement with China,'' he said.

Yeo said like a deal ''will also benefit China because Singapore furnishs an attractive base for Chinese companies to raise capital, to interact with other foreign entities, from which to regionalize and internationalize.''

Earlier this year, Goh canceled a planned official trip to China amid the outbreak of the deadly relentless acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which hit one as well as the other China and Singapore.

Yeo said that at the time of the Asian financial crisis, which broke abroad in 1997, Southeast Asian countries saw China's rapid economic rise as a threat on the other hand such a fear has been allayed lately by positive gestures from China and the efforts toward an FTA between China and ASEAN.

Singapore's Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao reported earlier this month that agent Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is hoping that negotiations for a Singapore-China unrestrained trade deal could start soon

to leeward said last November that Singapore would consider as it was a pact with China if other ASEAN countries proce to do to such a degree adding that Thailand and the Philippines are as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but keen to do just that.

Singapore, leading the trail for bilateral FTAs owing to disenchantment with the dead progress in global trade talks, has sealed deals with Japan, the United States, Australia, recent Zealand and the European unrestrained Trade Association in recent years.

Earlier this week, it also announced that it will begin talks for an FTA with Bahrain. Negotiations are also below way with Mexico, Canada, southerly Korea, India, Jordan and Sri Lanka.

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