Obama: U.S. consumers strapped

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama told Chinese and other Asian leaders they can't expect U.S. consumers, struggling with debt, to keep driving Asian economies.

Obama made the comment in Singapore Sunday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, before leaving for Shanghai to begin a four-day state visit to China, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"The recession we're just now recovering from has clearly taught us the limits of depending on the American consumer to drive economic growth," Obama said.

In a meeting including the prime minister of Myanmar, Obama demanded the release of political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, the Journal said.

Obama arrived in Shanghai late Sunday. The visit is his first trip to the country since he assumed the presidency. He is the first U.S. president to come to China during his first year in office, the state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Obama will participate in a town hall-style meeting in Shanghai during his visit to China.