A nation wanting good relations with others has to be mindful of circumstances. United States President Joe Biden’s administration is not taking such matters well enough into account with its invitation to leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for a summit in Washington this month. Without a clear-cut agenda, attending risks sending a wrong signal to China, the grouping’s biggest trading partner and investor and the American administration’s avowed strategic rival. It is for such reasons that the region’s governments usually are at pains not to take sides in the interests of ensuring good ties with both countries and being open to opportunities. But diplomacy is not uppermost for Biden; he is eager to push an agenda of dividing nations to draw influence away from Beijing. His eye is also on Russia’s war in Ukraine and seeking support for American-led sanctions. That is apparent from the White House’s announcement of the summit, which was to originally have been held at the end of March and was postponed due to unspecified scheduling issues. A spokeswoman said the gathering on May 12 and 13 would commemorate the 45th anniversary of relations between the US and Asean and demonstrate America’s commitment to being a partner with Southeast Asia. “Our shared aspirations for the region will continue to underpin our common commitment to advance an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, secure, connected and resilient,” she said. Biden is trying to claw back the influence his country lost under the isolationist foreign policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump. At its heart is his administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which aims to economically and strategically counter what is perceived to be Beijing’s plans to create a regional sphere of influence. It includes a trade grouping, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and a security dialogue commonly known as the Quad, comprising the US, Australia, Japan and India. Some Southeast Asian countries see Washington’s military presence as a bulwark against what they perceive to be China’s increasing assertiveness in the region, particularly in the South China Sea. But Asean and most of its member nations are careful not to take a position. China’s bilateral trade with Southeast Asia reached US$685 billion in 2020, far outstripping the US$362 billion for the US with Asean. Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative has poured tens of billions more into much-needed infrastructure and development projects. The summit is claimed to be about promoting cooperation, but is as much about geopolitical gain. China is bound to be a focus. Leaders considering attending have to be clear-eyed about the agenda and conscious of why they are being invited.