On the 26th, US President Biden and 10 ASEAN leaders jointly attended the US-ASEAN summit held online. This is the first time since Trump went to Manila in 2017 for the U.S.-ASEAN summit that a U.S. president has participated in an ASEAN-level meeting.
Biden said the U.S.-ASEAN relationship is "critical to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region," and that the U.S. values the central role of the ASEAN-10 in the region, which ASEAN countries can expect to visit in person in the future.
Biden announced that he will invest $100 million in strengthening the U.S.-ASEAN relationship, which will be used for public health, climate initiatives, helping ASEAN recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and educational programs. Biden also stressed that the United States and ASEAN share "common interests, common values, and a common vision."
U.S. analysts pointed out that Biden's meeting with ASEAN leaders reflects that his administration is actively engaging allies and partners to deal with China. Biden will attend the East Asia Summit online on the 27th.
Source: Phoenix TV Wang Youyou, Chen Yiqiu Washington report