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Biden says US-ASEAN pact to address 'biggest issues of our time'
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US President Joe Biden (left), Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (center) and President Joko Widodo attend the ASEAN-US summit during the ASEAN summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Nov. 12, 2022. (Reuters/Cindy Liu)
S
outheast Asian heads of government held talks on Saturday with visiting global leaders including US President Joe Biden, who hailed the launch of a new US-ASEAN pact as a critical step towards tackling "the biggest issues of our time".
In his first visit to Southeast Asia as president, Biden said the region was at the heart of his administration's Indo-Pacific strategy and Washington was committing resources, not just rhetoric, under a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
"Together we will tackle the biggest issues of our time, from climate, to health security, to defend against the significant threat to the rule-based order," he said, opening a meeting in Cambodia with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
"We will build an Indo Pacific that's free and open, stable and prosperous, and resilient and secure," he added.
ASEAN is engaging a host of leaders, including Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The event is the first in a series of summits in Southeast Asia over the next seven days that are expected to discuss tricky global issues, from the war in Ukraine, climate, and regional tensions over the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and North Korean missile launches.
Biden's presence comes as the United States seeks to reassert itself after a period of regional uncertainty about its commitment under US predecessor Donald Trump, and concerted efforts by rival China to boost its influence and fill the void.
