N Korea, Indo-Pak rift to linger on sidelines

Although not on the official agenda of the third session in the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), these security matters are likely to loom large on the sidelines of the meeting in the eastern port city of Qingdao.

The ACD, established on a Thai initiative two years ago, may have none of the formal powers of other Asian organisations, but it nevertheless brings together high-level decision-makers for rare personal encounters.

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"It does tend to attract a stellar lineup," said Nick Thomas, a researcher with the China-Asean Project at the University of Hong Kong.

The two-day ACD meeting, which begins Monday, will draw ministers from the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and several Gulf nations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who will chair the talks, is to meet separately with his colleagues from Japan and South Korea, just ahead of the start in Beijing of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

The three-way discussions will address regional security, trade and environment issues and are the first since the leaders of the three countries agreed in Indonesia last October to intensify cooperation.

It is another sign that the trio is increasingly acting as a sub-group within the larger East Asia area, said Ralph Cossa of Pacific Forum CSIS, a Hawaii-based think-tank.

"This is a net plus for regional security as long as it is seen -- as it currently is -- as a complement to (other regional efforts) and not as an effort to work around them or exclude the US from regional economic or security discussions," he said.

The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan will also meet in Qingdao in their first talks since a change of government in New Delhi, according to the Indian government.

Natwar Singh of India and his Pakistani counterpart, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, will hold a working lunch Monday, coinciding with talks on nuclear security in New Delhi between the two South Asian neighbours.