SHANGHAI (Reuters) - APEC foreign ministers, seeking common ground amid differences over the U.S.-led fight against terrorism, said on Thursday the struggle was a battle between good and evil rather than countries or religions.(Read photo caption below) President Bush and other leaders from the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum begin to arrive in Shanghai later under tight security for the most high-powered gathering since the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Ministers -- including Secretary of State Colin Powell -- met over breakfast to lay the groundwork for their leaders' weekend summit, which looks set to be dominated by terrorism rather than economics despite a global slowdown.
Diplomats said Powell outlined what the United States has been doing in its war against terrorism and appealed for help. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, and predominantly Muslim Malaysia have previously criticized U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan. Both are APEC members.
Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told reporters the ministers had agreed the fight against terrorism was long term and should involve the United Nations -- a reference to Chinese and Russian concerns about Washington's dominant role so far.
``Anti-terrorism is the struggle between evil versus good, the civilized and barbaric,'' he quoted the ministers as agreeing. ``It is not the struggle between different nations, civilizations and religions.''
PHOTO CAPTION:
Tourists walk past satellite dishes in Shanghai, the host of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Conference, October 17, 2001. Pacific Rim economies appear set to issue a strong condemnation of terrorism in support of the United States over the September 11 attacks, despite sharp criticism from Malaysia of U.S.-led strikes on Afghanistan. (Andrew Wong/Reuters)