The United States, China and Japan joined Southeast Asian nations Tuesday to map out a coordinated response to terrorist threats at a conference hosted by a new regional counter-terrorism bureau.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told some 33 security and government officials from the three countries plus Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia the terrorist threat was growing stronger and no one nation could face it alone.

US experts and security officials from China and Japan are expected to share experiences in crisis management with their Southeast Asian counterparts during the three-day conference organised by the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism.

The centre was opened here late last year and focuses on capacity-building, human resources development and exchange of information to combat terrorism.

Sharing information

"Terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, is one of the most complex security challenges facing the world today," Syed Hamid told the opening ceremony.

"What is most important is to cooperate with each other, that we will be able to provide information and can access each other's resources for the purpose of better managing any crisis or security threats that may impact on the region as a whole," he told a news conference later.

Syed Hamid pledged Malaysia's continued commitment to fighting terrorism, saying "we cannot allow even the slightest opportunity for any terrorist association to enter and cripple our security".

Malaysia is holding more than 90 alleged Islamic militants without trial after accusing them of membership in regional terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, which was responsible for the Bali bombing in Indonesia in October 2002.

At the same time it has been fiercely critical of Washington's tactics against terrorism, charging that the invasion of Iraq would create more terror recruits and worsen global security. - AFP