Asia brimming with Confidence -- Singapore PM

Hindu reports, " Asia "brims with confidence and dynamism," as it is "powered by the twin engines of China and India," according to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In a New Year message, Mr. Lee said the overall economic environment in Asia stayed favourable in the year gone by. In this milieu, the City-State's external trade grew strongly by 14 per cent in 2005, "helped by our expanding network of free trade agreements," he said, citing in particular the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), which Singapore signed with India last June.