Biden Holds Summit With Southeast Asian Leaders, Attempts To Address China's Growing Media Influence

United States President Joe Biden hosts Southeast Asian leaders in a meeting at the White House to discuss international security matters as the Democrat attempts to shift priorities to China and its growing media influence in the region.

The talks will be held amid Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine, which has been Washington's top foreign policy priority since it began on Feb. 24. The meeting also signals the US's commitment to the region where it is currently engaged in a tussle for dominance with China.

Biden Hosts Summit of Southeast Asian Leaders

The world leaders will discuss critical issues, including the post-COVID economic revival, climate change, and the Myanmar coup. They will have two days starting on Thursday and will be in the presence of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is a bloc of 10 countries that make up the world's seventh-largest economy when put together.

The former secretary-general of ASEAN, Ong Keng Yong, said that he was expecting security issues to be on the table during the summit of the world leaders. The official noted that it was unavoidable that geopolitics and international security matters would be raised and discussed, as per CNBC.

The White House also said that the summit would "demonstrate the United States' commitment to ASEAN and commemorate 45 years of U.S.-ASEAN relations." American officials have often stressed the "centrality of ASEAN" to its Indo-Pacific strategy to contain China, a global powerhouse.

A senior administration official on Wednesday acknowledged that the war between Russia and Ukraine had suddenly created daily demands that consumed the time and energy of the US president and his team. However, they said that Biden remained concerned about and focused on the need to prevent China from dominating the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the New York Times, the US president will also be traveling to Japan and South Korea from May 20 to May 24. The trip will focus on China, but officials have not provided details about it. However, Biden is expected to meet with fellow leaders of the other so-called Quad countries, namely India, Japan, and Australia.

China's Growing Media Influence

The leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will meet with Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday. They will also talk with other lawmakers before gathering at a Washington hotel to discuss business opportunities with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and executives from American industries.

President Biden also plans to host the leaders for what his administration said would be an intimate dinner at the White House on Thursday evening. The Asian leaders will also meet with Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Later that day, they will meet with Biden at the White House.

The situation comes as China has been working on not just trade and investment but also on its influence in Southeast Asia. In the last decade, Beijing has slowly but steadily expanded its media influence in the countries in the region in four key ways as a means of shaping their views, Defense One reported.