U

S President Barack Obama will likely sideline his country's criticism of Myanmar when he meets with the 10 ASEAN leaders in an attempt to counter the bloc's growing ties with China.

Obama will touch down in Singapore on Saturday to attend the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. His agenda on Sunday includes a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The meeting could highlight Indonesia, the only ASEAN member that is also a part of the world's top 20 economies, the G20, as the focal point in the US-ASEAN relationship.

The US has committed to isolate Myanmar, an ASEAN member state that has been internationally denounced for gross human rights violations, including the jailing of political activists, particularly Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as causing tremendous suffering to its people.

But with China forging closer trade and investment ties with ASEAN member states, including signing a free trade area agreement with the bloc and most of the individual members, the international community will see Obama sit side by side with Myanmar junta leader Prime Minister Thein Sein.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said separately the opportunity might arise for her or Obama to meet with Myanmar's leaders.

"There is not a meeting *with Myanmar's leaders*," Clinton said during a visit to Manila, Reuters reports.

"There very well may be the opportunity for leaders, including myself and the president, to meet with the leaders of Burma, something that we have not done before."

China has even proposed an Asia-Pacific regional architecture that leaves out the US.

A draft of the US-ASEAN joint statement shows the US has agreed to ASEAN's traditional approach to handle Myanmar, which is to engage the junta in all ASEAN initiatives rather than isolate it.

"The ASEAN leaders welcomed the policy of the United States to engage with the Government of Myanmar . this is consistent with ASEAN's long standing effort," the draft read.

While addressing China's growing influence within the region as a key part of US foreign policy, its closer economic and political ties with ASEAN mean it also can expect support on other issues, including nuclear disarmament and the Iranian and North Korean nuclear questions.

"The leaders agreed to work towards preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. The leaders reaffirmed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty *NPT* as the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy," the leaders said.

The statement takes a sharp stance on Iran, which has been accused by the US and Europe of trying to build nuclear weapons.

Iran has rejected the accusation, saying the nuclear reactors it has built are purely for power generation.

The leaders also urged North Korea to return to the six-party talks - a forum of South Korea, China, North Korea, Japan, Russia and the US - to find ways to resolve the North's belligerence on developing nuclear weapons.

Indonesia's increasing role in the relations with the US has been of concern to other ASEAN countries.

"Indonesia is still an ASEAN country, and it will value its closer neighbors above all," said Jusuf Wanandi, senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said during the APEC meeting Clinton acknowledged the impact of Indonesia's argument on its softer stance on Myanmar.