President Barack Obama will use a trip to east and southeast Asia this week to expand military arrangements with two US allies as he tries to restore the credibility of his much-hyped strategy for the region.

At a time when American commitments around the world are coming under question, Mr Obama will seek to enhance military collaboration with Japan and the Philippines as part of a broader push to reassure allies and to counter growing Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

The president will be visiting an area that has become increasingly anxious about the long-term implications of a more powerful China and an erratic North Korea. However, it is also worried that the US has become distracted by partisan politics, by crises in the Middle East and Europe and by looming cuts in its defence budget.