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US President Joe Biden with Asian leaders attending the US-Asean special summit, at the White House on May 12. Photo: EPA-EFE

Biden hails ‘new era’ in US-Asean ties, as summit closes with wide-ranging pledge

  • Neither Biden nor joint vision statement mentions China, but it is the focus of US Indo-Pacific strategy
  • Joint statement includes deal to ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea – often a source of US-China confrontation
Washington is launching a “new era” in its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) amid China’s growing clout in the region, US President Joe Biden said, pledging to elevate cooperation on a range of aspects, from the digital economy to security in the South China Sea.

This came as a two-day summit in Washington ended on Friday with an agreement to establish an “Asean-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” in November.

He also nominated Yohannes Abraham, chief of staff to the White House National Security Council, to serve as US representative to the 10-nation bloc, a position which has been vacant since 2017.

Addressing the summit on Friday, Biden said the relationship between US and Asean had become critical.

“And as we look around the world – all the challenges we’re facing – the Asean-US partnership is critical, I think, to meeting the moment we find ourselves in history right now,” he said, highlighting the need for “an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, stable and prosperous, and resilient and secure”.

“We’re launching a new era – a new era – in US-Asean relations,” Biden said.

“We’re committed to a future where the rules and norms that have made possible so much growth and prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific are upheld and strengthened, including respect for the rule of law and for human rights,” Biden added.

Southeast Asian leaders at the summit also held meetings with US Vice-President Kamala Harris, transport chief Pete Buttigieg and climate adviser John Kerry on Friday.
Kamala Harris (centre) and other top US officials at a working lunch with Asean leaders on May 13. Photo: AFP

Neither Biden nor a joint “vision statement” released after the meeting mentioned China, but the summit was part of Washington’s efforts to strengthen ties with the bloc it considers critical to its Indo-Pacific strategy, which sets out the US playbook in a wider geopolitical competition with Beijing.

The joint statement said the US and Asean would step up maritime cooperation, including coordination among maritime law agencies to curb illegal fishing, and ensure freedom of navigation over the South China Sea – often the reason for confrontation between Washington and Beijing.

“We recognise the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity. We emphasise the importance of practical measures that could reduce tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings, and miscalculation,” the statement said, stressing the importance of “confidence building”.

China warns US not to provoke confrontation in Southeast Asia

The US is not a claimant in the disputed waters, sovereignty over which is contested by Beijing, several of its Southeast Asian neighbours and Taiwan. However, Washington has long deployed military aircraft and vessels to the resource-rich waters for “freedom of navigation operations” – denounced by Beijing for violating its sovereignty.

Southeast Asian nations, which have overlapping claims over several island groups in the South China Sea, are increasingly concerned about Beijing’s military build-up in the disputed waters.

Bilateral pledges at the close of the Washington summit included one to strengthen economic ties through the implementation of the Asean-US Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement and Expanded Economic Engagement Initiatives Workplan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Washington on Friday. Photo: Reuters

The two sides will also work on “high-standard, transparent, low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure projects” and global supply chains for medical goods, hi-tech products, vaccines and commodities.

Other areas of cooperation include blockchain applications, digital financial services and climate change.

On Thursday, the US announced that it was offering more than US$150 million for projects in the region ranging from maritime security to clean energy infrastructure. Asean representatives also met US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and had an “intimate dinner” with Biden at the White House.

Among the topics discussed, the White House said, were China, how the war in Ukraine might affect the region, and the next steps for Myanmar, whose military junta government was barred from attending.

While the statement did not mention Russia or its invasion, it did call to “reaffirm our respect for sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity”, and for “immediate cessation of hostilities” and “the facilitation of rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine”.

Leaders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam attended the summit, while outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sent his foreign affairs secretary to represent the country.

Why the US must engage Indonesia and Asean to restart its ‘pivot to Asia’

Evan Feigenbaum, vice-president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said despite its US$150 million pledge, the US had yet to figure out how it could be a “standard setter” in crucial areas such as the digital economy and emerging technologies.

“The problem for the US government is not that US$150 million, which will do some nice stuff … The real issue is the United States has forgotten its traditional role as a standard-setting nation,” he said, adding that access to American markets was what Asean countries actually wanted.

“I do not think it has to be a trade agreement, but I do think the United States needs to figure out what kind of role it wants to play,” he said.

Asked about the summit on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said there was no reason why US and China could not “share regional friends”, and he urged that “all cooperation” be beneficial to the region as a whole.

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