The US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit did not help the US strengthen its position in ASEAN, as Washington was unable to offer partners a specific agenda for cooperation, writes the Singapore newspaper The Straits Times.
The ASEAN-USA Summit was held in Washington on May 12-13. During the meeting, Biden announced plans to allocate $150 million for initiatives to develop cooperation with ASEAN. ASEAN includes Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
The publication cites the opinion of a leading researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Jaon Lin, who believes that Washington’s initiatives were aimed solely at deterring China and its “One Belt, One Road” initiative.
According to The Straits Times, the leaders of the ASEAN countries at the summit did not hear from Biden answers to their questions, primarily about US projects in the region to restore economies after the coronavirus pandemic. “ASEAN leaders expected to get clearer answers to questions about trade, but not to listen to promisinginitiatives,” the expert believes.
According to Derek Grossman, a senior researcher at the American RAND think tank, Biden did not disclose the details of the new US concept for the region so that ASEAN could understand its role in this strategy. According to the expert, in this regard, the summit became a “meeting of missed opportunities.”