PHNOM PENH, Nov 12 (Bloomberg): President Joe Biden arrived in Cambodia on Saturday, kicking off a five-day swing through Asia for a series of summits that will include his first in-person meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Biden is the first US leader since 2017 to attend the meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, during which he plans to emphasize his vision for a free and open Asia Pacific to counter China’s growing military and technological assertiveness.
He plans to hold discussions with several Asian leaders, including those from US allies South Korea and Japan. Biden is set to cross paths with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the East Asia Summit on Sunday before meeting Xi on Monday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali.
Li earlier said ties with Southeast Asia has strengthened despite the pandemic and the complex international landscape, reminding leaders of Beijing’s growing economic clout and promising more tie-ups.
Here are the latest developments.
US, China Tensions Undermine World’s Capacity for Challenges, UN Says
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said US and China live by two different sets of rules, currencies and strategies for technology that will "undermine the world’s capacity to respond to the dramatic challenges we face.”
Guterres said he is urging the Group of 20 to look at helping countries in the global south that have first been battered by the pandemic and are now struggling with higher food prices due to the war in Ukraine and crippling debt. "A stimulus package is needed to help governments in these developing countries that are struggling,” he told reporters in Cambodia.
Biden to Tell Xi to Help With North Korea or Face More Drills
Biden will warn Chinese leader Xi Jinping of an expanded US military presence in the region if Beijing doesn’t help rein in North Korean military provocations, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters.
Sullivan said North Korea is a threat to the US, Japan, South Korea and to "peace and stability across the entire region.” Biden won’t make any demand of Xi but will share his perspective, Sullivan added.
Jake Sullivan Urges Closer Political Ties Among Asian States
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged closer political cooperation between Asian states, including Japan and China, amid growing challenges from food insecurity to human rights violations.
"Such complex crises, I’ve always emphasized, must be overcome through solidarity and cooperation,” he told a gathering of regional leaders in Cambodia, including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "In each area of politics, economy, society and culture we must forge closer cooperation and solidarity.”
Biden Arrives in Cambodia, Set to Join Asian Leaders
President Joe Biden landed in Cambodia on Saturday where he will meet with leaders of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as other Asian heads of state. During his stay, he will also cross paths with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the East Asia Summit on Sunday ahead of his meeting with counterpart Xi Jinping in Bali.
The trip to Southeast Asia is Biden’s first since his presidency, and comes at a time Washington is seeking to advance its role as a security partner among Asian nations that count on Beijing as its biggest trading partner. The White House has said it is hoping Biden’s trip to the region will help bolster that status.
South Korea Sees Prosperous Indo-Pacific via Supply Chains
South Korea will contribute to building a prosperous Indo-Pacific by helping to enhance the region’s supply chains and bolster economic security, President Yoon Suk Yeol said in his first summit meeting with Asean leaders.
"Cooperative, inclusive economic and technology ecosystems will be fostered to attain shared prosperity,” he told the gathering of leaders. "The Indo-Pacific is home to 65% of the world’s population and over 60% of its GDP. Half of the global seaborne cargo travels through the region.”
Marcos Wants Early Conclusion of South China Sea Code of Conduct
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos pushed for an early conclusion for putting together a code of conduct for the South China Sea that has dragged on for decades.
"I welcome the progress on textual negotiations on the COC this past year and hopefully an approved code of conduct in the very near future,” Marcos in remarks made during Asean leaders meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and published by his government. - Bloomberg
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