United States President George W Bush on Friday said the challenge before the APEC nations' were to strengthen the forces of freedom and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region, which could be done through the expansion of trade and investment.
"Our challenge is to strengthen the forces of freedom and prosperity of this region and one of the best ways to do so is through the expansion of trade and investment," Bush said in an address to the APEC business summit in Sydney.
Bush said trade liberalisation and ongoing security efforts in the region had become increasingly important to global economic stability and to the ongoing war on terror, a local TV channel reported.
The economies of APEC countries now represented half of international trade, he said, adding we seek a region that is growing in freedom and prosperity and peace and we're determined to help this region become a region of hope.
After World War II, Australia and New Zealand were the only two democracies in the region, but now, almost 60 years later, there were many more examples where democracy and free trade were flourishing, he said.
Naming Indonesia-based group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf as a terror threat to Australia and the region, he said, "those who sit at the (leaders' summit) table tomorrow must do everything, we can, to stop the radicals and the murderers."
The Asia-Pacific nations understand this threat all too well. Violent Islamic extremists have killed the innocent in Bali, Jakarta and Manila and other places. The leaders of al Qaeda have issued threats against Australia, Japan and South Korea, he said.
Stressing on the need to share information on terror issues, the US President said, the fight against terrorism was a long-term ideological struggle, but terrorists must be brought to justice and this would best be achieved through the sharing of information between nations.
"Long term, the best way to bring peace is to defeat them in the battle of ideas," he said.
This involved promoting a vision of hope, based on human dignity and liberty, which was far stronger than the dark appeal of resentment and murder, he added.
Praising the efforts of the leaders of Malaysia and the Philippines in curbing Islamic extremist groups, Bush said, "These and other efforts are making a difference."
"It's in the interest of the United States to actively support these forces of moderation and we'll do so." he said.
Freedom had transformed the Asia-Pacific region but there was more work to be done, including bringing freedom to the residents of North Korea and Myanmar.
Bush said the US would continue to work with Russia and China while encouraging both nations to respect the "checks and balances that are essential to democracy".
He said he was looking forward to attending the Beijing Olympics in 2008, adding it offered that country a fantastic opportunity to show it was now a nation of "greater openness and tolerance".
"APEC nations are supporting the advance of freedom in this region," Bush said.
