US President Joe Biden will be hosting leaders from Southeast Asia for a summit on May 12 and 13. This is the same summit that was supposed to be hosted in March.
During a meeting in October 2021, Biden had announced $102 mn for initiatives that were geared towards expediting COVID-19 recovery, climate crisis, gender equality, and economic growth. The summit in May will gather the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and build on the topics discussed last year.
It is "a top priority" for the administration "to serve as a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia," said Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, in a statement released by the White House.
Even though the statement failed to directly mention China, bolstering the bonds with Southeast Asian countries is a crucial part of the Biden administration's effort to counter Beijing's dominance in the region.
"Our shared aspirations for the region will continue to underpin our common commitment to advance an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, secure, connected, and resilient."Biden Administration
The original meeting, which was supposed to be held at the end of March, was postponed because of the conflicting schedules of the participating leaders.
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