Asia Pacific leaders need to fight terrorism in their own countries, but without undermining the ties of commerce and friendship within the region, US President George W. Bush said Saturday. Speaking at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Chief Executive Officers summit, Bush said terrorists want to turn the openness of the global economy against itself.

"We must not let them," Bush said.
"We need customs, financial, immigration and transportation systems that make it easier for us to do our business and much harder for terrorists to do theirs," he added.

Bush is in China to attend this weekend's annual APEC leaders' meeting. The gathering is poised to endorse a "Shanghai Accord" on Sunday which will stress the need to continue to enhance trade liberalisation and facilitation within the region to counter the current global economic slump. Bureau Report