US committed to elevating Asean ties to 'unprecedented' levels

WASHINGTON • US President Joe Biden is committed to elevating the United States' engagement with Asean to "unprecedented" levels, the top American diplomat for Asia has said, ahead of a visit to South-east Asia by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Mr Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said on Wednesday that the security aspect of Mr Blinken's trip would focus on strengthening regional security infrastructure in response to Chinese "bullying" in the South China Sea.

Mr Blinken starts off his round-the-world journey with a meeting with his Group of Seven colleagues from today to Sunday in Britain, before visiting Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

"President Biden is committed to elevating US-Asean engagement to unprecedented levels, expanding our formal engagement and cooperation via new ministerial-level meetings on climate and environment, energy, health, transportation, and gender equality and women's empowerment," said Mr Kritenbrink.

"There is tremendous convergence among our partners in the region, including these three countries in South-east Asia. Convergence in terms of the vision we have for the kind of region we want to live in... a region that is free of coercion, a region where large countries do not bully the weak and where all countries play by the rules."

He said the US was not asking countries in the region to choose sides but wanted to ensure they had the ability to make their own decisions. "We choose that vision of a rules-based international order in which all countries, large and small, play by the rules."

REUTERS