In effort to engage Asean members, US hosts new fellowship training programme
- The initiative is part of US efforts to convince Asean that it wants to work with the region on its own merits, not just in the context of US-China competition
- Fellows engage with government, academic and private sector actors in meetings centred on emerging technologies, public health, security and climate change
The first cohort of a new annual US fellowship for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has arrived in Washington to a warm welcome – and a growing debate about how Southeast Asia will balance its relationships with China and the US.
On the rooftop of the new building housing the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) – the institutional host of the initiative – US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer spoke on Tuesday about the administration’s “unprecedented” efforts to engage the region, including the formal upgrading of the US-Asean relationship in November.
“This enhanced diplomatic architecture will ensure that every part of our government continues to pursue ambitious new forms of cooperation with Asean long into the future,” he said, speaking of the new US-Asean “comprehensive strategic partnership”.
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Asean has the same level of partnership only with three other states: China, India, Australia. China and Australia were the first to receive the status in 2021.