BAKER URGES ASIAN ALLIES NOT TO ISOLATE CHINA

United States Secretary of State James Baker III will urge southeast Asian leaders not to take steps that would isolate China further after its crackdown on pro-democracy protests, a Bush administration official said Wednesday. The official said Mr. Baker, meeting Japanese Prime Minister Sosuke Uno in Tokyo Tuesday, stressed ``the importance of not isolating China and not taking action that would harm the Chinese people.''

Baker is attending a meeting here of foreign ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations.