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 Obama, who leaves office next year, has championed a foreign policy
pivot to Asia during his presidency and is determined to present the
United States as a Pacific power.
His meeting with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) was aimed at cementing that legacy.
"This reflects my personal commitment, and the national commitment
of the United States, to a strong and enduring partnership with your
10 nations," he said at the start of the two-day summit at
Sunnylands, a California resort.
The meeting, at the same location where Obama once hosted Chinese
President Xi Jinping, was designed to demonstrate Washington's role
as a counterweight to Beijing and as an eager trading partner with
ASEAN members.
White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice told reporters U.S.
companies had more than doubled investment in the region since 2008.
On Monday the leaders were slated to focus on economic issues,
including discussion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, which
includes four ASEAN members: Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei and
Malaysia. Others are interested in joining, and the White House
wants to make sure the pact takes effect.
On Tuesday, the leaders will discuss maritime issues, particularly
the South China Sea, where China and several Southeast Asian states
have conflicting and overlapping claims.
White House officials have said Obama would deliver a tough message
to China that disputes over the South China Sea must be resolved
peacefully and not by bullying.
"Here at this summit, we can advance our shared vision of a regional
order where international rules and norms, including freedom of
navigation, are upheld and where disputes are resolved through
peaceful, legal means," Obama said.
The challenge may be to get all ASEAN countries to agree on a strong
statement on the issue. Officials say China has put pressure on
countries such as Cambodia and Laos not to sign.
"I'm ... confident that our shared commitment to upholding these
norms will be reinforced," Rice said.
China's role in the region hung over the meeting. Rice said she
expected China would support new international sanctions on North
Korea for its recent rocket launches.
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An editorial in the influential Chinese tabloid the Global Times on
Tuesday said the summit was the wrong place to discuss South China
Sea issues and that it would not yield "striking geopolitical
decisions".
"ASEAN countries have no such desire, and the U.S. knows it is not
able to do so," the Global Times said, repeating Beijing's stance
that disputes in the sea should be handled bilaterally.
Advocacy group Human Rights Watch urged the Obama administration to
object to human rights violations in countries such as Cambodia and
Thailand during the summit. The president touched on the issue
without specifics during his remarks.
"Here at the summit, we can reaffirm that strong, prosperous and
inclusive societies require good governance, rule of law,
accountable institutions, vibrant civil societies and upholding
human rights," he said.
Combating climate change and cooperating on counter-terrorism and
the fight against Islamic State militants were also on the agenda.
Obama returns to Washington on Tuesday.
(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Bruce Wallace and David
Brunnstrom, and Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Dan Grebler
and Simon Cameron-Moore)
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