The International Monetary Fund has predicted that the economies of east Asian countries will start to grow again next year.

But the Fund's deputy director for the Asia-Pacific region, David Nellor, has warned that recovery will be slow, and fraught with risks beyond the area's control.

He was speaking at a regional conference in Manila, which has been considering prospects for the region outlined in a new report by the Asian Development Bank.

The Bank said last year's economic performance by regional developing nations apart, from China, was the worst since 1945.