ASEAN, East Asian officials meet

ASEAN directors-general together with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea will meet Friday in Manila to discuss uniting the region under an East Asian Community.

The ASEAN plus Three grouping is committed to forming closer economic and other ties within the next few decades.

"Through continued hard work, close cooperation and coordination, we can and will make our shared vision of a people-centered community a reality," said Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo during the opening of the first meeting of the ASEAN Standing Committee last Thursday.