|
 Malaysia's police chief cited unconfirmed reports of an "imminent
terrorist threat" in the country, following last week's attacks in
Paris and the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt by Islamic
State militants.
Some 4,500 soldiers were deployed or on standby to secure the
summit, in addition to thousands of police who have fanned out
around the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. The site is home to Petronas
Towers, once the world's tallest buildings, and a convention center
where the summits are taking place.
The leaders of 18 countries, including U.S. President Barack Obama,
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
are attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) meeting followed by the East Asia Summit.
Shortly after Obama arrived, reports from the African nation of Mali
said gunmen shouting Islamist slogans attacked a luxury hotel in the
capital of Bamako, taking 170 guests and hotel staff hostage. It was
not immediately clear who the gunmen were affiliated with.
Obama has been briefed by his national security advisor on the
incident, a White House official traveling with the President said.
 Both the APEC meeting and the ASEAN summit typically focus on
economic issues but have been overshadowed by global efforts to
combat Islamic State following the attacks in Paris that killed at
least 129 people.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the weekend summit would
address issues of terrorist threats abroad and locally. "These are
real concerns to us in the region," he told a meeting of ASEAN
business leaders on Friday. "And we in ASEAN, we are inherently
moderate people."
In September, Malaysian police thwarted a plot to detonate bombs in
Kuala Lumpur’s vibrant tourist area of Bukit Bintang, nearby the
Petronas Towers. Other recent plots frustrated by Malaysian security
forces included plans to raid army camps and seize weapons.
NINE-DASH LINE
The weekend meetings are also expected to spotlight China's
increasingly assertive posture in the South China Sea.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea along with the
atolls and islets scattered around its strategic sealanes, which
annually carry $5 trillion worth of trade. This clashes with claims
by Taiwan and ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and
Brunei.
[to top of second column] |
In talks with Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Thursday, Obama
demanded China halt land reclamation work that is turning seven
reefs in the Spratly archipelago into artificial islands. China is
building airfields and other facilities on some of them. Earlier
this month, U.S. B-52 bombers flew near the islands, signaling
Washington's determination to challenge Beijing over the disputed
sea.
China said it does not want the South China Sea issue to be the
focus of the meetings in Kuala Lumpur and a draft of the Chairman's
statement to be issued at the end makes no mention of the recent
tensions. It is still being negotiated, however.
Obama has tried to emphasize the U.S. "rebalance" towards the
Asia-Pacific with his signature Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal
and strengthening ties with Asian nations facing a more muscular
China. But he has been dogged during his swing through the region by
concerns over how to counter Islamic State.
He also has issues with Malaysia.
Obama said he will "definitely" raise issues of human rights and
corruption when he meets Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on
Friday.
"I will do it. I admit I was going to do it anyway but now that I
heard it from you, I'm definitely going to do it," he said in
response to a question from a Malaysian student at a town hall at a
Kuala Lumpur University shortly after his arrival.
Critics have accused Najib of escalating a crackdown on dissent and
free expression after losing the popular vote in the 2013 general
election. The prime minister has come under pressure himself after
it was revealed in July that nearly $700 million in unexplained
deposits were placed into his personal bank accounts. He has denied
any wrongdoing but has yet to detail the source and purpose of the
money he received.
(Additional reporting by Trinna Leong and Martin Petty. Editing by
Bill Tarrant)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
