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Obama joins Apec Singapore summit Apec leaders in climate warning
(about 3 hours later)
US President Barack Obama has joined 20 other world leaders in Singapore at the second day of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum. World leaders meeting in Singapore have said it will not be possible to reach a climate change deal ahead of next month's UN conference in Denmark.
They have been discussing how to steer the global economy towards recovery. But after a two-day Asia-Pacific summit, they vowed to work towards an "ambitious outcome" in Copenhagen.
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. Leaders, including the US and Chinese presidents, also vowed to pursue a new strategy for growth after the world's worst economic crisis in decades.
Our correspondent says the big issue is how to manage a shifting balance of power, with China in the ascendant. They resolved to conclude the Doha round of global trade talks in 2010.
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. In a joint declaration issued at the end of their two-day annual summit, they said: "We firmly reject all forms of protectionism and reaffirm our commitment to keep markets open and refrain from raising new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services."
He told the gathering in Tokyo that he wanted to pursue a policy of "pragmatic cooperation" with China, Asia's rising power. They also agreed to keep stimulus spending in place until a recovery was seen.
Our correspondent says Asian leaders will welcome President Obama's message of renewed US engagement with Asia, but he will be under pressure to live up to his rhetoric, particularly on free trade. 'Staging post'
Trade disputes But leaders have failed to agree a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum.
East Asia is recovering faster from the financial crisis than its neighbours on the other side of the Pacific. Officials said the leaders - including US President Barack Obama and Hu Jintao of China - now viewed the Copenhagen summit as a "staging post", and not an end point, in the search for a global deal to cut emissions of greenhouse gases.
1. Friday 13: Arrived in Japan2. Saturday 14: Joined Apec summit in Singapore3. Sunday 15: Has talks with Russia's President Medvedev before leaving for China4. Tuesday 17: Summit in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao5. Wednesday 18: Ends tour in South Korea1. Friday 13: Arrived in Japan2. Saturday 14: Joined Apec summit in Singapore3. Sunday 15: Has talks with Russia's President Medvedev before leaving for China4. Tuesday 17: Summit in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao5. 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. The 21-member grouping dropped a target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which was outlined in an earlier draft of the joint statement.
World leaders gathered for the weekend summit have already taken aim at signs of US trade protectionism. "We... reaffirm our commitment to tackle the threat of climate change and work towards an ambitious outcome in Copenhagen," they said in the final declaration.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon cited Washington's "Buy American" clauses, saying US legislation was "going in the opposite sense of free trade". Mr Obama is due to meet his Russian counterpart later on Sunday as the clock is ticking for the world's two leading nuclear powers to strike a new arms reduction deal.
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. Officials on both sides said Mr Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are also expected to discuss Iran's nuclear programme and Afghanistan during their 90-minute talks on the sidelines of a regional summit.
It said leaders had resolved to exert more political will to jump-start the Doha round of global talks. Mr Obama kicked off his week-long Asian tour in Japan on Saturday.
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. In Tokyo, he pledged Washington's "unshakeable" commitment to the security of the region and said Washington wanted to pursue a policy of "pragmatic cooperation" with China, Asia's rising power.
Following the Apec summit, President Obama travels to China late on Sunday amid heightened trade tensions between the two countries. Following the meeting with Mr Medvedev, Mr Obama will travel to China 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.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.