Biden’s absence at Asean summit shows bloc has ‘little role’ in US plans to counter China

The Biden administration has rebuilt some trust, goodwill across Southeast Asia, but the summit snub will be ‘two steps forward, one step back’, analysts say

US interest in the region is focused on counterbalancing China’s growing military power, so ‘hard-nosed reality’ is that Washington has little interest in Asean

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US Vice-President Kamala Harris will attend the Asean Summit in Jakarta next month. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:46pm, 23 Aug 2023Updated: 8:50pm, 23 Aug 2023

The White House has rejected suggestions that President Joe Biden is neglecting Southeast Asia by skipping the Asean talks next month, but observers say that perception will linger due to the choppy track record of US presidents attending these annual meetings.

The White House said on Tuesday that Vice-President Kamala Harris would be heading to Jakarta for the summits with Southeast Asian leaders from September 4-7, which is likely to be attended by the state leaders of dialogue partners, including China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea and other Western countries.

Biden will instead travel to India for a summit of the G20 nations from September 7 to 10. He will potentially stop in Vietnam, after saying earlier this month that he would visit the emerging Southeast Asian partner “soon” to upgrade ties.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly pushed back against criticism of the decision in a Tuesday briefing with reporters, saying there was a “constant tug and pull” for the president to attend various diplomatic events.

Sullivan pointed out that Biden, who took office in 2020, attended a similar Asean meeting – the East Asia Summit – virtually in 2021, and in person last year. Biden had also “sent his vice-president to Southeast Asia twice, and this will be her third trip there, making a substantial investment in Asean as an institution and in Asean centrality”, Sullivan was quoted as saying by VOANews.

But ahead of this week’s confirmation that Biden would miss the talks, there had already been indications from within the region that such a move would be seen as a snub.

Asean leaders typically meet twice a year, but the second meeting – being held earlier than usual this year – includes the East Asia Summit, where national leaders of the bloc’s main trading partners also participate.