US, China, Russia join Asia summit amid regional disputes

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – President Joe Biden and China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang will video attend an annual summit of 18 Asia-Pacific nations on Wednesday in a region where world powers over trade, Taiwan, democracy, human rights and Beijing’s dueled have increasingly assertive crackdown on disputed areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will also address the East Asia Summit, a wide-ranging forum on political, security and economic issues organized by the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The World Health Organization is expected to brief leaders on the pandemic that has set the economies of 18 countries, which represent more than half of the world’s population and account for over 60% of global GDP.

A White House statement on Wednesday said Biden would reaffirm US support for the ASEAN-led regional architecture and discuss his vision for working with allies and partners to address the problems facing the Indo-Pacific region. It was the first time since 2017 that a US president has attended the summit, which is part of a three-day high-level meeting hosted by Brunei, this year’s chairman of ASEAN

During a separate meeting with ASEAN leaders Tuesday, Biden announced a $ 100 million initiative to step up U.S. engagement in the region amid China’s growth as a national security and economic adversary. Biden described the US relationship with the bloc as “essential”. Funding includes health spending, a new climate initiative, education and programs to support economic recovery.

“I want you all to hear directly from me about the importance the United States attaches to its relationship with ASEAN,” said Biden. “You can expect me to show up and speak to you.”

Washington-Beijing relations have fallen to new lows since the nosedive under former President Donald Trump’s administration, which took a confrontational approach to trade, visas, diplomatic missions and educational exchanges.

A long-simmering dispute over Taiwan recently erupted after Biden said the US was determined to help defend the self-governing island, which China claims as part of its territory, should it be attacked.

The U.S. nuclear-submarine deal with Australia and Britain has also angered China, which claims most of the controversial South China Sea, warning the pact would threaten regional stability.

The issue could be raised during a separate meeting between the Australian head of state and ASEAN on Wednesday. Some ASEAN states such as Indonesia and Malaysia also fear that the pact could escalate tensions in hot spots such as the South China Sea and trigger an arms race.

The three-day ASEAN meetings were marred by a diplomatic stalemate after military-ruled Myanmar skipped the summit in protest at ASEAN’s move to exclude Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, whose troops seized power in February, from attending .

ASEAN’s reprimand against Myanmar was the boldest after the bloc’s envoy was prevented from meeting the deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners as part of a proposed dialogue to alleviate the crisis that saw more than 1,100 protesters, mostly anti-military were killed.

Myanmar has refused to send a junior representative to the summit and has criticized ASEAN’s move as a violation of the bloc’s principles of not interfering in each other’s affairs and making decisions by consensus.

Biden on Tuesday condemned the Myanmar military for “terrible violence” against protesters and pledged US support for the country’s return to democracy.

In a statement by the chairman released after the summit on Tuesday, the leaders of the Myanmar bloc called for his envoy, Brunei’s second foreign minister, Eryan Yusof, to be given full access to all parties and political prisoners to be released.

Respecting the ASEAN principle of non-interference, the bloc said it also needs to strike a balance on the rule of law, good governance, democracy and constitutional government in Myanmar.

“We reaffirmed that Myanmar remains a member of the ASEAN family and recognized that Myanmar needs both time and political space to address its many and complex challenges,” the group said.

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Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associate press journalists Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, Kiko Rosario and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.