SINGAPORE -- In its second term, the Bush administration needs to pay more attention to Asia in general and Southeast Asia in particular.

More importantly, while Asians need to recognize the importance of the war on terrorism to Washington in the post-9/11 world, Washington needs to understand that a seemingly unidimensional approach toward Southeast Asia -- frequently characterized as Washington's continued "hectoring" on terrorism issues -- detracts from other key objectives shared by Washington and the majority of East Asian nations:

*Promoting open markets, democracy and the rule of law