President Joe Biden on Friday promised a long-term commitment to South-East Asia in the face of China's growing influence as he met regional leaders for a first summit in Washington.
Mr Biden laid out $150 million in new initiatives and announced plans for the first full US ambassador to the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) in more than five years.
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Mr Biden took office saying that his top foreign policy priority would be global competition with China, which has surpassed the US as South-East Asia's top trading partner and has been increasingly assertive on territorial disputes in the region.
Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Centre for a New American Security, said Mr Biden's summit pledges were bound to bring “uncomfortable comparisons”.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, at his own virtual summit with Asean last year, announced $1.5 billion in Covid aid over three years, while the US is preparing a $40bn package for embattled Ukraine.
“To complicate matters further, the United States lacks a trade policy in Asia, the region where it matters most,” Mr Fontaine said.
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Author
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Richard Fontaine
Chief Executive Officer
Richard Fontaine is the chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He served as president of CNAS from 2012–19 and as senior fellow from 2009–12...
