The failure by the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) to meet the schedule for the creation of the group's first major free trade area underscores the difficulties of setting a similar pace for economies of very varied strengths.

"China is disappointed not to meet the first deadline, but accepts that this is not a disaster," Asean Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers.

Economic officials from all parties were set to meet again later this month in Hue in Vietnam with a goal of ironing out remaining differences in drawing up their final lists of goods on which tariffs would be cut, he said.

"The additional time given allows us to bring in the desired conclusion," Ong said. "We hope to move over the hump then."

Asean and China agreed in November 2001 to start talks on a free trade pact. That pact should be concluded between China and Asean 's six more developed members -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- by 2010.

By 2015, Asean 's less developed members -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam -- would join.

However, problems now lie with some of the six Asean founder countries that want more time to bring down tariffs on items they regard as sensitive and which range from sugar to manufactured goods, concessions similar to those given the four poorer and newer Asean