<p>US President Joe Biden will meet in mid-May with the leaders of Southeast Asian nations, with a likely focus on the rising power of China, the host country announced Saturday.</p>.<p>The summit, originally scheduled for March, "will demonstrate the United States' enduring commitment to ASEAN," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.</p>.<p>"It is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia," the statement said.</p>.<p>The summit, originally set for March 28 and 29 before being delayed without a new date, will now take place on May 12 and 13.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/biden-approves-800-million-in-new-military-assistance-for-ukraine-1100599.html" target="_blank">Biden approves $800 million in new military assistance for Ukraine</a></strong></p>.<p>The meeting was postponed amid reports that the leaders of some ASEAN members had scheduling conflicts, and as the Ukraine crisis continued to deepen.</p>.<p>The United States has long said that strengthening its ties to Asia was a foreign policy priority.</p>.<p>On March 29, Biden met at the White House with a key ASEAN member, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, and said he wanted to ensure that the region remains "free and open" -- a reference to what the US sees as attempts by rising power China to dominate international trade routes.</p>.<p>Biden had participated in a virtual summit with ASEAN leaders in October.</p>.<p>In that summit, Psaki noted in her statement, Biden announced initiatives to expand US engagement with ASEAN on Covid-19, climate change, economic growth and more.</p>.<p>A tense competition with China has become one of the greatest foreign policy challenges for the United States, though other issues -- the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine -- have demanded more urgent attention.</p>.<p>ASEAN members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Several of them have experienced growing friction with Beijing.</p>.<p>The US statement Saturday did not make clear whether the leaders of Myanmar would in fact attend. The administration has accused that country's military leaders of perpetrating a "genocide" against the Rohingya minority.</p>.<p>ASEAN has sought -- in vain so far -- to find a diplomatic solution since the military took power there in a 2021 coup.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>US President Joe Biden will meet in mid-May with the leaders of Southeast Asian nations, with a likely focus on the rising power of China, the host country announced Saturday.</p>.<p>The summit, originally scheduled for March, "will demonstrate the United States' enduring commitment to ASEAN," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.</p>.<p>"It is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia," the statement said.</p>.<p>The summit, originally set for March 28 and 29 before being delayed without a new date, will now take place on May 12 and 13.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/biden-approves-800-million-in-new-military-assistance-for-ukraine-1100599.html" target="_blank">Biden approves $800 million in new military assistance for Ukraine</a></strong></p>.<p>The meeting was postponed amid reports that the leaders of some ASEAN members had scheduling conflicts, and as the Ukraine crisis continued to deepen.</p>.<p>The United States has long said that strengthening its ties to Asia was a foreign policy priority.</p>.<p>On March 29, Biden met at the White House with a key ASEAN member, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, and said he wanted to ensure that the region remains "free and open" -- a reference to what the US sees as attempts by rising power China to dominate international trade routes.</p>.<p>Biden had participated in a virtual summit with ASEAN leaders in October.</p>.<p>In that summit, Psaki noted in her statement, Biden announced initiatives to expand US engagement with ASEAN on Covid-19, climate change, economic growth and more.</p>.<p>A tense competition with China has become one of the greatest foreign policy challenges for the United States, though other issues -- the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine -- have demanded more urgent attention.</p>.<p>ASEAN members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Several of them have experienced growing friction with Beijing.</p>.<p>The US statement Saturday did not make clear whether the leaders of Myanmar would in fact attend. The administration has accused that country's military leaders of perpetrating a "genocide" against the Rohingya minority.</p>.<p>ASEAN has sought -- in vain so far -- to find a diplomatic solution since the military took power there in a 2021 coup.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>