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Biden promises support for maritime security to ASEAN
The Biden administration made the pledge as it opened a two-day summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, part of a campaign to show that the United States still prioritizes Asia despite months of intense focus on repelling Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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U.S. President Joe Biden (C) takes part in the family photo for the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit on the South Lawn of the White House on May 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. Southeast Asian Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are visiting Washington, DC for a special summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. Secretary General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassan, President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Long, Prime Minister of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Phankham Viphavan, Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob and Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Teodoro Locsin. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP (AFP/Drew Angerer)
P
resident Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed Southeast Asian leaders to Washington, promising support for clean energy and maritime security in the face of a rising China.
The Biden administration made the pledge as it opened a two-day summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, part of a campaign to show that the United States still prioritizes Asia despite months of intense focus on repelling Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The White House announced some $150 million in new initiatives -- a modest sum compared with a $40 billion package for Ukraine and with the billions pumped into the region by China, which has surpassed the United States as ASEAN's largest trading partner.
But the United States said it was working with its private sector and it plans to unveil a broader package, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, when Biden travels next week to Tokyo and Seoul.
"I hope this meeting can build a momentum for the return of the US presence in the region," Indonesian President Joko Widodo told a forum of the US-ASEAN Business Council before the leaders headed to a White House dinner.
The White House said it was committing $60 million to new maritime initiatives that will include the deployment of a Coast Guard cutter and personnel to fight crime on sea.
Efforts will include countering illegal fishing and the use of forced labor, a US official said.
