The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) opened its 11th summit here on today, with plans for historic talks on bringing the region's disparate nations closer together.

The two-day gathering will try to tackle a range of issues from bird flu to terrorism, and comes amid calls for the region to address the growing economic challenge posed by emerging powers China and India.

It will be followed on Wednesday by the first-ever East Asian Summit, a new 16-nation grouping that links the 10 Asean members with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

The East Asian Summit, which represents about half the world's population, will consider ways of enhancing cooperation, and proposals to create a European-style economic integration of the region.

But both gatherings come under the shadow of ongoing regional disputes, including a bitter row between China and Japan over Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to a controversial war shrine.

Asean members have also been expressing frustration over fellow member Burma, where the military junta's lack of progress in meeting its pledges on democracy and human rights has left the country increasingly isolated.