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US President Barack Obama has joined 20 other world leaders in Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum.They have been discussing how to steer the global economy towards recovery.

The BBC's south-east Asia correspondent says other issues will now press their way onto the agenda, such as North Korea and climate change.

Our correspondent says the big issue is how to manage a shifting balance of power, with China in the ascendant.

Speaking in Japan on Saturday at the start of a week-long Asian tour, President Obama pledged Washington's "unshakeable" commitment to the security of the region.

He told the gathering in Tokyo that he wanted to pursue a policy of "pragmatic cooperation" with China, Asia's rising power.

Trade disputes

East Asia is recovering faster from the financial crisis than its neighbours on the other side of the Pacific.

• 1. Friday 13: Arrived in Japan
• 2. Saturday 14: Joined Apec summit in Singapore
• 3. Sunday 15: Has talks with Russia's President Medvedev before leaving for China
• 4. Tuesday 17: Summit in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao
• 5. Wednesday 18: Ends tour in South Korea

But countries in the region still need American markets to export to, and will be hoping for signs of concrete action from Mr Obama, says the BBC's Rachel Harvey.

World leaders gathered for the weekend summit have already taken aim at signs of US trade protectionism.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon cited Washington's "Buy American" clauses, saying US legislation was "going in the opposite sense of free trade".

Leaders of Apec, a 21-member grouping that accounts for more than half of all global output, "reiterated their commitment to reject all forms of protectionism", a news release after the meeting said.

It said leaders had resolved to exert more political will to jump-start the Doha round of global talks.

At Saturday's gala dinner, Apec leaders followed the tradition of donning shirts from the host country, this time wearing long-sleeved linen shirts reflecting the local Malay-Chinese culture.

Following the Apec summit, President Obama travels to China late on Sunday amid heightened trade tensions between the two countries.


The BBC's Chris Hogg in Shanghai says the face-to-face talks Mr Obama will have with China's President Hu Jintao will offer an opportunity to take the heat out of some of those trade disputes, and to pursue areas of co-operation, such as technology transfer from the US to China to help this country build a so-called green economy.