United States President Joe Biden committed $150 million to support infrastructure, security, pandemic preparedness, and other efforts in favor of ASEAN countries.
The Democrat's commitment comes after a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders where Biden called for unification and prioritization of China and Russia. The two-day summit began on Thursday and will have in attendance the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Washington.
Biden's $150 Million Commitment to ASEAN
The international leaders will have dinner at the White House together ahead of talks at the State Department on Friday. Biden was seen broadly smiling while taking a group photo on the South Lawn of the White House before the dinner. He was with representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
The summit also included discussions regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where the Biden administration hopes for efforts to show countries that Washington remains focused on the Indo-Pacific and the long-term challenge of China, as per Reuters.
In November, China pledged $1.5 billion worth of funds for the development assistance to ASEAN countries over three years in order to fight COVID-19 and fuel economic recovery. In a statement, a senior Biden administration official said that it was imperative to step up the country's game in Southeast Asia. He added that the U.S. is only seeking stronger relationships with other nations in the region.
Biden also made a promise to make China a central focus of his foreign policy as a senior administration official said that the war in Europe had created daily demands that consumed the president's time and energy.
According to the New York Times, the official, who requested not to be named, said that Biden was still focused on preventing China from dominating the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S.'s $150 million commitment will include $40 million for clean energy projects in Southeast Asia. A White House official also said that the administration estimated that the money would be used to help raise or finance as much as $2 billion for the construction of projects.
Focusing on China and Russia
Another $60 million was invested in deploying additional maritime assets to the region led by the Coast Guard. The fund would also be used to perform training and other activities in coordination with other nations aimed at enforcing maritime laws.
The Biden administration also said it would set aside $15 million to expand health surveillance programs in Southeast Asia and better detect COVID-19 and other airborne diseases in the region. The Democrat is also set to travel to Japan and South Korea from May 20 to May 24.
That trip will largely focus on China, but White House officials have not revealed additional details regarding the trip. But the U.S. president is expected to meet with fellow leaders of the other so-called Quad countries, Australia, India, and Japan.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Ukraine would be on the agenda for the leaders to talk about. However, she was not able to make a prediction on whether or not the group would also discuss the Russian invasion, the Associated Press reported.
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