Asean braces for Trump administration’s parting shot at China

Name: China congratulates Joe Biden on being elected US president
Uploaded: 2020-11-13T12:00:17.000Z
Duration: 41 s
Description: China congratulates Joe Biden on being elected US president

The Trump administration’s final meetings with the Southeast Asian bloc take place on Saturday. True to form Trump himself won’t be there

His anti-China rhetoric is, however, expected to make an appearance – even though it will be Biden’s agenda that will really be exercising minds

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Performers at the opening ceremony of the Asean summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: EPA

Bhavan Jaipragas

Published: 8:00pm, 13 Nov 2020Updated: 9:47pm, 13 Nov 2020

US officials are expected to keep up President Donald Trump’s strident anti-China rhetoric when they participate in their swan song Asean meetings on Saturday, but diplomatic insiders say the message will probably be overshadowed as interest in the region turns to the more nuanced foreign policy of the incoming Joe Biden administration.

While there may be some valedictory remarks among the leaders of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the outgoing US administration, observers said the focus hereafter would be on cooperation with the multilateralism-favouring Biden – though some expect elements of Trump’s policies to be retained.

The penultimate day of the ongoing series of regional summits, being held virtually owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, includes two meetings that involve the United States: the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the US-Asean Summit.

There was no indication by late Friday of who would speak on behalf of Washington in the EAS, a meeting involving the Asean countries and eight external partners: the US, China, India, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

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China congratulates Joe Biden on being elected US president

An Asia-based State Department media affairs official said there was no confirmation on who would lead the US delegation. Asean diplomats meanwhile said they were not expecting high-level representation from the US despite the participation of their own leaders. China’s Premier Li Keqiang and the Russian President Vladimir Putin have confirmed their attendance at the virtual meeting.