Obama set to tackle sea rows at Asia summit

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - US President Barack Obama is set to wade into the troubled waters of Asia's maritime disputes at a regional summit next week, with allies hoping for support in their efforts to contain China.

Mr Obama, on his first overseas trip since his re-election, will arrive in the Cambodian capital from Myanmar on Monday for the 18-nation East Asia Summit that observers expect will be dominated by a raft of territorial rows.

The two days of annual talks will be preceded on Sunday by a meeting of leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which have struggled to forge a united stance on China's claims to the South China Sea.

"Maritime security issues will once again be front and centre," said Ian Storey, a regional security analyst with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.