Biden working on ties with South-East Asia in shadow of China

US President Joe Biden greets embassy staff and families at the Phnom Penh International Airport as he arrives to attend the 2022 Asean summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Saturday, November 12, 2022. - Reuters

PHNOM PENH, Nov 12 (AP): President Joe Biden is formally kicking off his participation at a conference of South-East Asian nations on Saturday, looking to emphasize the United States’ commitment in the region where a looming China is also working to expand its influence.

Biden’s efforts at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit are meant to lay the groundwork ahead of his highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping - the first face-to-face encounter of Biden’s presidency with a leader whose nation the U.S. now considers its most potent economic and military rival.