Obama Steers Clear of East Asian Maritime Disputes

China and most of its neighbors have competing claims on islands in the South and East China Sea but on a regional visit the U.S. president is avoiding wading in

After talking tough on China during the election, President Obama pressed ahead with his message of fostering greater U.S. political and economic ties to Asian nations during a meeting of South Asian leaders Tuesday and ignored questions about China's claim to the South China Sea.

Keenly focused on his mission of pivoting U.S. attention to Asia and its economic-growth opportunities, Mr. Obama met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the first top-level meeting between the two countries since the presidential election.