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

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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

Published: 1:22pm, 14 May 2022Updated: 3:37pm, 14 May 2022

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.

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