MANILA, July 9 Kyodo Car manufact...

MANILA, July 9 Kyodo

Car manufacturers and composing producers from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began a meeting Tuesday to firm up strategies forward how to boost collaboration toward a unified ASEAN car market.

The two-day meeting, the ASEAN Auto Supporting Industries 4th conversation in Manila, will urge ASEAN countries to unite in a bid to strengthen the competitiveness of auto suppliers in the four countries -- the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

An exhibit of Japanese automobile parts and materials that ASEAN companies reliance to supply through joint contingencys and tie-ups may inference from pre-arranged business meetings among discourse participants.

ASEAN Automotive Federation President Aishah Ahmad told a stranges conference the event is to tympanum up an ''integrated, regional market'' to rival China.

Ahmad said the parley was ''timely'' given the proximity of the implementation of the ASEAN exempt Trade Area (AFTA) on Jan. 1 2003 AFTA is count uponed to set the parameters for trade between member countries by way of lowering barriers and other duties.

''AFTA makes it possible to lower production costs'' for car manufacturing and parts production that would enable the ASEAN countries to engage an expected increase in car demand, Ahmad said.

''This means we have to think in succession a regional scale. These kinds of occurrences are valuable for suppliers. Japanese companies could help upgrade the capability (of participating companies),'' he added.

Philippine Automotive Federation President Vicente Mills said China may be viewed as a potential market for ASEAN companies although China is popularly supplying its own domestic market.

nevertheless China is clearly a competitor, not just in metes of market but in investment, Mills added.

''As ASEAN, we can be competitive with China if we turn the thoughts at our market as single in kind I think there is commitment among the ASEAN regulations The ASEAN automotive firms brought about a meeting like this in such a manner we can start cooperating,'' Mills said.

Mills said it becomes a necessity for ASEAN and countries as it is as the Philippines ''to bring out its own policies to attract parts and composings makers.''

''As in extent as we keep ingesting the up-to-date technology and upgrade our equipment and management techniques we'll be able to contend with the low labor price of China. The key point is we've got to upgrade our products'' Mills said.

Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Vice Chairman and President Takao Suzuki acknowledged that the Chinese market, although in its ''initial stage,'' is a actual large potential market.

''Japan has been carefully studying by what means to address the Chinese market,'' Suzuki said at the pres conference

The remarks reverberateed an earlier presentation by Japan Auto Parts Industries Association (JAPIA) Vice Chairman and Executive Managing Director Toyohiko Shimada, who said ''the number of production bases in China of JAPIA members marks (an increase of) more than four-fold during the past six years.''

The number of Japanese companies in China rose to 134 in 2001 from 31 in 1995 Shimada said.

Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas said his department is looking at a possible overhaul of his country's automotive industry policies.

''We are reviewing our policies with regard to the importation of secondhand vehicles, with refer to to the environment, with have a high opinion of to safety...and of course with notice to the excise taxes,'' Roxas said.

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