U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday formally elevated their ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" and agreed to advance maritime and economic cooperation, underscoring Washington's deeper commitment to the region amid China's growing clout.
Attending the annual U.S.-ASEAN summit in Cambodia, Biden hailed the upgrading of their relationship from the "strategic partnership" status, saying it marks "a new era" in their cooperation.
"Together we will tackle the biggest issues of our time," Biden said at the meeting, touching on the need to defend against "the significant threats" to the rules-based international order and to build an Indo-Pacific that is "free and open, stable and prosperous, resilient and secure."
The latest development signaled how the United States and China are jockeying for influence in the fast-growing Southeast Asian region. China already raised its relationship with the 10-member group to a similar status last year.
China is ASEAN's biggest trade partner, but its assertive behavior has also created friction, with Beijing having conflicting territorial claims with four members of the bloc -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- as well as Taiwan in the South China Sea.
Biden arrived in Phnom Penh earlier Saturday to attend annual summits involving ASEAN, which also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.
It is his first visit to Southeast Asia since taking office in January last year, with the previous annual regional gatherings having been held virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden's predecessor Donald Trump had disappointed Asia-Pacific allies by largely snubbing key meetings in the region.
In a joint statement issued after Saturday's meeting, the United States and ASEAN agreed to promote maritime cooperation by upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as by collaborating to improve "maritime domain awareness" that could help counter illegal and unregulated fishing.
The United States has been concerned over China's role in the exploitation of global fisheries and its involvement in illegal fishing activities.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said using radio frequencies from commercial satellites would enable the tracking of "dark shipping," which is when vessels' transponder systems are purposefully switched off to render their movements undetectable and is often a sign of potential illegal activity.
The White House also said the United States will work with ASEAN to create an "integrated electric vehicle ecosystem" in Southeast Asia by supporting the deployment of related infrastructure, a move that is also intended to help members of the association reduce emissions while increasing connectivity.
During talks with his ASEAN counterparts, Biden was also likely to have discussed the situation in Myanmar following a military coup last year, hoping to put pressure on the junta to move the country back to the democratic path.
In May, Biden hosted a special summit meeting with ASEAN leaders in Washington, at which they vowed to forge a "comprehensive strategic partnership" during the U.S.-ASEAN summit in November.
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