US Hails 'New Era' with ASEAN as Summit Commits to Raise Level of Ties

Biden hosted a summit dinner at the White House on Thursday, and his administration promised $150 million for areas including infrastructure, security, pandemic preparedness, and clean energy.

New US commitments will include the deployment of a Coast Guard vessel to the region to help counter what the United States and regional countries have described as China's illegal fishing.

Still, US spending pales in comparison to that of China, which in November alone pledged $1.5 billion in development assistance for ASEAN over three years to fight Covid and fuel economic recovery.

Biden on Friday announced the nomination of Yohannes Abraham, chief of staff on his National Security Council, to be ambassador to ASEAN, filling a post vacant since the start of Donald Trump's administration in 2017.

Source: Reuters