T

he United States is planning two new undertakings after concluding a five-year partnership project with ASEAN, signaling that it remains committed to relations with the bloc despite its lack of a permanent representative to the regional body.

Piper AW Campbell, chargé d’affaires of the US Mission to ASEAN, announced on Monday after the conclusion of a project called PROGRESS, that the US would launch two new ones: the first, PROSPECT, focusing on sociocultural and political security communities and the second, IGNITE, focusing on supporting the economic community. Each is to last for another five years.

Started in 2013, PROGRESS focused on strengthening ASEAN institutions to advance the bloc’s vision for political-security and social-cultural integration.

“The US is dedicating significant diplomatic military and foreign assistance resources to the region to facilitate economic growth and development, energy cooperation, people to people exchanges, youth programs and education,” Campbell said.

She said the US government was still developing the final plans for the two new programs.

“PROSPECT and IGNITE will continue the strong US government commitment to working with ASEAN [...] to support rules-based institutions and architecture in the region,” she said.

She estimated the funding for PROGRESS would be between US$9 million and $12 million.

“Of course that would depend on the appropriation from the US government, as well as the settling of the final details of the program,” she said.

Observers have questioned the US’ commitment, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, to ASEAN, as Trump had yet to appoint an ambassador to the regional body. Campbell said ASEAN was “absolutely a priority” for the US, even though her position would only last until the end of the year. She said the US government was still choosing and vetting the right person to be ambassador.

“The executive branch of the US government has not yet nominated a permanent representative to replace me on a permanent basis to represent the US to ASEAN, but we certainly hope it will come in the near future,” she said. “I would like to think that my presence here and the fact that I asked to come out to serve in this role is a manifestation of a strong continued commitment to ASEAN.”

Meanwhile, ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said he remained confident that ASEAN-US relations were still strong in terms of their social, political and economic aspects.

“This is manifested in the amount of trade and investment. The figure for US investment in ASEAN is huge compared to US investment in China, Japan and Korea put together,” he said.

Despite the close relationship, he said the increased tension between the US and China might have an impact on ASEAN.

“Obviously, whatever happens between other parties has an impact on ASEAN, but so far we believe we have strong relations,” he said. “So we’ll see how it goes.”