Biden should give Asean leaders face time to improve ties, says Cambodian minister

US President Joe Biden is set to visit the South-East Asia region from May 12-13. - Reuters

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters): US President Joe Biden should spend more time with South-East Asian leaders during a summit in Washington next week if his administration is serious about elevating US ties with the region, where China holds significant sway, a senior Cambodian official has told Reuters.

No individual meetings were currently planned between the region's leaders and Biden when the 10-nation Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) meets with him as a bloc for talks on May 12 and May 13, said Kao Kim Hourn, a minister and close adviser to Cambodia's long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen.