Malaysia summit to focus on Daesh says Obama

(MENAFN- Arab News) KUALA LUMPUR: US President Barack Obama said summit meetings among world leaders this weekend in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur will focus on the global fight against Daesh militancy and on the disputed South China Sea.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak Obama said: 'Malaysia is part of the coalition to fight (Daesh) and can be extraordinarily helpful on issues like countering the destructive and perverse narrative that's developed.'
Malaysia deployed extraordinary security measures around Kuala Lumpur on Friday as leaders from 18 countries arrived for a pair of weekend summits amid fresh attacks by militants.
Malaysia's police chief cited unconfirmed reports of an 'imminent terrorist threat' in the country following last week's attacks in Paris and the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt by Daesh militants.
Some 4500 soldiers were deployed or on standby to secure the summit in addition to thousands of police who have fanned out around the Kuala Lumpur City Center. The site is home to Petronas Towers once the world's tallest buildings and a convention center where the summits are taking place.
In addition to Obama leaders from China Japan Russia India South Korea Australia and New Zealand are attending the East Asia Summit following the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting.
The Malaysian prime minister said the weekend summits would address issues of terrorist threats abroad and locally. 'It's important for us to present the authentic Islam' Najib said after his talks with Obama. Islam is practiced by a majority of Malaysians.
In September Malaysian police thwarted a plot to detonate bombs in Kuala Lumpur's vibrant tourist area of Bukit Bintang nearby the Petronas Towers.
Most of the leaders are arriving from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila. Both the APEC meeting and the ASEAN summit typically focus on economic issues but have been overshadowed by the attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people.
Obama said the South China Sea 'will be a major topic' for all the ASEAN countries.
'The United States does strongly believe in the need to apply the rule of law and international norms in the resolution of maritime disputes' Obama said. 'Freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce' have been the foundation for region's growth.'
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea along with the atolls and islets scattered around its strategic sealanes which annually carry $5 trillion worth of trade. This clashes with claims by Taiwan and ASEAN members Vietnam the Philippines Malaysia and Brunei.
In talks with Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Thursday Obama demanded China halt land reclamation work that is turning seven reefs in the Spratly archipelago into artificial islands. China is building airfields and other facilities on some of them. Earlier this month US B-52 bombers flew near the islands signalling Washington's determination to challenge Beijing over the disputed sea.