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U.S., ASEAN upgrade ties amid China rise, eye maritime cooperation

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Kyodo News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="US President Joe Biden and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during the 10th ASEAN-US Summit on Nov. 12, 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Press Secretary." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/11/13/asean.jpg"/><figcaption>US President Joe Biden and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during the 10th ASEAN-US Summit on Nov. 12, 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. <em>Photo courtesy of the Office of the Press Secretary.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>PHNOM PENH - U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday formally elevated their ties to a &quot;comprehensive strategic partnership&quot; and agreed to advance maritime and economic cooperation, underscoring Washington&#x27;s deeper commitment to the region amid China&#x27;s growing clout.</p><p>Attending the annual U.S.-ASEAN summit in Cambodia, Biden hailed the upgrading of their relationship from the &quot;strategic partnership&quot; status, saying it marks &quot;a new era&quot; in their cooperation.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/insights/09/29/10/2nd-us-asean-leaders-meeting-elevating-partnership-strategic-level">2nd US-ASEAN Leaders Meeting: Elevating the Partnership to a Strategic Level</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Together we will tackle the biggest issues of our time,&quot; Biden said at the meeting, touching on the need to defend against &quot;the significant threats&quot; to the rules-based international order and to build an Indo-Pacific that is &quot;free and open, stable and prosperous, resilient and secure.&quot;</p><p>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.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/10/28/21/asean-upgrades-strategic-ties-with-china">ASEAN upgrades &#x27;strategic ties&#x27; with China</a></li></ul><p>China is ASEAN&#x27;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.</p><p>Biden arrived in Phnom Penh earlier Saturday to attend annual summits involving ASEAN, which also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand.</p><p>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.</p><p>Biden&#x27;s predecessor Donald Trump had disappointed Asia-Pacific allies by largely snubbing key meetings in the region.</p><p>In a joint statement issued after Saturday&#x27;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 &quot;maritime domain awareness&quot; that could help counter illegal and unregulated fishing.</p><p>The United States has been concerned over China&#x27;s role in the exploitation of global fisheries and its involvement in illegal fishing activities.</p><p>White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said using radio frequencies from commercial satellites would enable the tracking of &quot;dark shipping,&quot; which is when vessels&#x27; transponder systems are purposefully switched off to render their movements undetectable and is often a sign of potential illegal activity.</p><p>The White House also said the United States will work with ASEAN to create an &quot;integrated electric vehicle ecosystem&quot; 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>In May, Biden hosted a special summit meeting with ASEAN leaders in Washington, at which they vowed to forge a &quot;comprehensive strategic partnership&quot; during the U.S.-ASEAN summit in November.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/14/22/us-asean-leaders-vow-to-upgrade-ties-amid-chinas-rise">US, ASEAN leaders vow to upgrade ties amid China&#x27;s rise</a></li></ul><div><strong>==Kyodo</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED NEWS</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dBqHfcyO5Jk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

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'