SHANGHAI, China?Pacific Rim ministers met Wednesday with trade on the agenda and terrorism on their minds, and some said the suicide hijackings in America had given fresh urgency to the push for new World Trade Organization negotiations.
Despite efforts to reassure Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation?s Muslim nations that the war on terrorism was not an assault on Islam, Malaysia?s opposition to the U.S.-led bombing of Afghanistan resurfaced when a top minister charged that it would not work.
?You sort of wipe off one generation of terrorists, a new generation emerges,? Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz said. ?Anybody can become a terrorist if they have enough reason.?
APEC foreign and trade ministers opened their 13th annual meeting to prepare for a weekend summit by leaders, including President Bush in his first overseas trip since the Sept. 11 attacks.