 Leaders of 16 Asian countries, including top polluters China and Japan, agreed to a vague pact on climate change on Wednesday, trying to put aside discord over Myanmar's suppression of democracy protests. In the declaration signed in Singapore, leaders of the East Asia Summit (EAS) committed to stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations in the long run. But the pact, which contains no fixed targets on cutting emissions or even limiting their growth by a specific date, would serve as a basis for climate change negotiations at a major UN meeting next month in Bali. The EAS -- 10 Southeast Asian nations plus China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- -- also agreed that "all countries should play a role in addressing the common challenge of climate change, based on the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities." Asked why the declaration did not include any numerical targets, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: "This is a declaration of intent, not a negotiated treaty of what we are going to do to restrict ourselves." Australia said the pact would make it easier to negotiate a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol on limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations hopes the Bali meeting will kick off two years of talks to agree on a new global framework to fight climate change. "There has been a turning of the tide in China and India's position -- they're saying 'yes we need to do something to stabilise emissions'," Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said earlier. China, the world's second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide after the United States, and India have steadfastly refused to agree to fixed targets and want rich nations to take the lead in cutting emissions and pay for cleaner energy technology. "It's not positive but what can we expect? We can't expect countries like China or India to be on the same line as Japan -- these emerging countries are not ready to move first," said Emmanuel Fages, carbon analyst at French bank Societe Generale. "There's nothing homogenous in Asia," he added. The only numerical target in the climate pact was on forest cover. The group agreed to "work to achieve an EAS-wide aspirational goal of increasing cumulative forest area in the region by at least 15 million hectares (37.5 million acres) of all types of forest by 2020". MAD ABOUT MYANMAR While the East Asian leaders tried to focus on climate change and trade, the issue of how to encourage wayward member Myanmar to embrace democracy soured ASEAN's 40th anniversary celebrations at which the grouping adopted a legal charter. The Philippines broke ranks with other Association of South East Asian Nations members and called for the immediate release of detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "We particularly deplore the treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi. She must be released. Now," Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a statement. Arroyo said on Monday the Philippine Congress might not ratify the charter if Myanmar did not commit to democracy and release Suu Kyi. The charter -- which gives ASEAN a legal identity and enshrines principles of democracy and human rights -- needs to be ratified within 12 months following the signatures on Tuesday. "All countries have to ratify it to bring it into effect," Singapore's Lee told reporters. He added the sanctions that Western countries had slapped on Myanmar were ineffective because the regime had chosen to isolate itself from the outside world. "You say I don't want to do business in Myanmar but it's water off a duck's back," Lee said.