Biden strengthens ties with Asean

East meets West: Biden posing with other leaders during the 2022 Asean summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. — Reuters

US President Joe Biden joined a conference of South-East Asian nations, 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 Asean summit are meant to lay the groundwork for 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 US now considers its most potent economic and military rival.