US says summit with Southeast Asian leaders marks ‘new era’ in relations

U.S. President Joe Biden leaves in his car to board Air Force One at the Andrews Joint Base in Maryland.

By Jeff Mason and David Brinstrom and Michael Martina

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Joe Biden said on Friday that the first summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Washington had ushered in a “new era” in relations between the United States and 10 nations. – National Vol.

Speaking on the second and final day of the meeting, Biden said, “Much of our world history will be written in ASEAN countries over the next 50 years, and our relationship with you is the future, for many years and decades to come.”

The summit marks the first meeting of ASEAN leaders as a group in Washington and the first by the US president since 2016.

Despite the crisis in Ukraine, the Biden administration hopes that the initiative will show Washington a focus on the long-standing challenge to the Indo – Pacific and its main rival, China.

“We are ushering in a new era – a new era – in US-ASEAN relations,” Biden said.

Earlier, US Vice President Kamala Harris told ASEAN leaders that the United States would remain in the region for generations and stress the need to maintain maritime independence, which Washington says is being challenged by China.

“The United States and ASEAN have shared a vision for the region and together we will defend ourselves against threats to international rules and regulations,” he said.

Neither she nor Fiden mentioned China, which Washington accuses of using force against its neighbors.

ASEAN groups have joined Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, despite the Myanmar leader’s exclusion from last year’s coup and US agreement ally the Philippines. Change after an election and their foreign ministerial representation.