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Features Beyond the Distant Horizon (APU Pop) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Awed Audience India and 'Ahimsa' Commentary 'East Asia' on the horizon (Editorial) Hate crimes and Asian Pacific Americans (Editorial) Building up clout (Editorial) The past, present and foreseeable future of 80-20 (SB Woo) Other News Headlines APU Love Central APU_Match APU Sage I Ching Oracle Buy APU! APU Research Center Gallery Search Asia Pacific Weather FactBot Chat! Make us your startup page!   horoscopes

Japan pledges to write off bad loans WASHINGTON -- Japan's finance chief, Masajuro Shiokawa, told journalists on Saturday that his country would move to clear bad loans to boost the Japanese economy. Shiokawa came to Washington for the Group of Seven (G7) meeting here. This is his first foreign trip since Japan's new Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appointed him on Thursday. In a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Shiokawa also asked Washington to spur its economy. Japan has cleared about ¥68 trillion in non-performing loans since 1992, and plans to write off another ¥32 trillion over the next two or three years. Some experts think the total bad debt is much higher than the 32 trillion figure. --- Discuss the issues in our Table Talk dicussion area. Or just chat and meet people in our live chat web.

Headlines Central Asia Embattled Region"s Leaders Retain High Economic Hopes (Times of Central Asia) Indo-Nepalese medical team leaves for Everest (World Tibet News) East Asia CHINA: Strong reaction if US proceeds (Straits Times) Koizumi Cabinet gets thumbs up Cabinet (Japan Times) Pacific Islands Saipan group supports RP's call for toxic waste cleanup (Saipan Tribune) Bai Kei Viti eyes partnership (www.fijilive.com) South Asia No new World Bank lending for Pakistan last year (Dawn) 16 BSF personnel killed by Bangladeshi troops (Times of India) Southeast Asia Thaksin amnesty slammed (Bangkok Post) China to let US inspect its spy plane (Straits Times)