APEC ministers plan tough controls, no ban, on missiles

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Linking the threat of terror to their economic futures, Pacific Rim leaders heeded U.S. warnings on Saturday and agreed to tough controls, but no ban, on portable missiles that can shoot down civilian aircraft.

They also resolved better coordination on bioterrorism, called for the restart of collapsed talks toward a new global trade pact, and promised to block "cross-border movement of equipment, funds and people involved in international terrorist activities."

The officials from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation members wrapped up two days of talks that laid out an agenda for next week's annual summit of world leaders. This year's forum is leaning heavily toward the fight against terrorism even though the group's stated goal is to boost trade and investment.

They warned that prosperity is threatened by violent extremism as well as disease outbreaks like SARS.

Previewing a theme President Bush will press here, Secretary of State Colin Powell said a meeting of world leaders on Monday will focus on security issues more than ever.

"Business leaders will invest where they believe not only their investment is safe, but their property and their employees are safe," he said.

APEC's host, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said leaders are "painfully aware that security and prosperity are inseparable" -- and have been made even more so by the SARS outbreak.