U.S. Hails New Era With ASEAN as Summit Commits to Enhanced Ties

[webfact]

 

by Paul Rujopakarn

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - U.S. President Joe Biden has said the first summit in Washington with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) marked the launch of a "new era" in the relationship between the United States and the 10-nation bloc.

 

In a joint 28-point "vision statement" following a two-day meeting, the two sides took what analysts called a symbolic step of committing to raise their relationship from a strategic partnership to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" in November.

 

The summit marked the first time that ASEAN leaders gathered as a group in Washington and their first meeting hosted by a U.S. president since 2016.

 

Raising the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership matched similar moves by ASEAN with Australia and China last year.

 

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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the United States would remain in Southeast Asia for "generations," while stressing the need to maintain freedom of the seas.

 

Harris also said Washington would continue to respond with ASEAN to the threat of the pandemic, having already donated more than 115 million vaccine doses to the region. She said both sides needed to show collective ambition on climate change, accelerate the transition to clean energy and meet infrastructure needs sustainably.

 

Myanmar’s leader was excluded from the summit over a coup last year. U.S. treaty ally the Philippines, which is still in transition after an election, was represented at the meeting by its foreign minister.

 

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-05-16

 

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[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Myanmar’s leader was excluded from the summit over a coup last year

Yet Prayut wasn't?

[Kenneth White]

In a joint 28-point "vision statement" following a two-day meeting, the two sides took what analysts called a symbolic step of committing to raise their relationship from a strategic partnership to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" in November.

 

This statement here has to have cause for concerns with CCP leader Xi after Kamala Harris's statement. "U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the United States would remain in Southeast Asia for "generations," while stressing the need to maintain freedom of the seas."

[John Drake]

6 hours ago, Kenneth White said:

In a joint 28-point "vision statement" following a two-day meeting, the two sides took what analysts called a symbolic step of committing to raise their relationship from a strategic partnership to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" in November.

 

This statement here has to have cause for concerns with CCP leader Xi after Kamala Harris's statement. "U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the United States would remain in Southeast Asia for "generations," while stressing the need to maintain freedom of the seas."

Maybe the US and the Philippines should merge. Better than Mexico. I don't know who would get the worst end of the corruption stick.

[Kenneth White]

15 hours ago, John Drake said:

Maybe the US and the Philippines should merge. Better than Mexico. I don't know who would get the worst end of the corruption stick.

The US has good relationships with Japan, Philippines, Taiwan and other Asian countries. CCP Xi wants complete ownership of the seas and Kamala's statement kind of puts the CCP on notice that they do not control these waters.