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Expanding U.S.-ASEAN Partnership
“Over the last few years, the United States and [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] ASEAN have embarked on a remarkable deepening and expansion of our ties,” declared Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the recent ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference in Laos.
“We’ve upgraded our relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and we’ve elevated our work together on digital issues, cyber security, health, the environment and climate, energy, transportation, women’s empowerment – all while reinvigorating longstanding lines of effort in foreign affairs, in economics, and in defense.”
The ASEAN partnership is built on common values and a shared vision of an open Indo-Pacific that is free, prosperous, secure, connected, and resilient, reflected Secretary Blinken. “We’re deeply committed to ASEAN’s centrality,” he stressed.
“This means we’ll keep working with and through ASEAN to tackle the biggest challenges, while seizing on what we see as almost limitless opportunities,” he said. “Our commercial and economic ties are incredibly robust, with two-way trade and investment supporting jobs here in Southeast Asia and in the United States, enhancing the economic futures for U.S. and ASEAN businesses and workers. The United States is very proud to be the number-one source of foreign direct investment across ASEAN.”
ASEAN also needs to work together to address challenges to this shared vision, said Secretary Blinken:
“Whether it’s Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the DPRK’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, the ongoing and heartbreaking crisis in Burma, or the PRC’s escalatory and unlawful actions taken against the Philippines in the South China Sea over the last few months. On that, we are pleased to take note of the successful resupply today to Second Thomas Shoal, which is the product of an agreement reached between the Philippines and China. We applaud that and hope and expect to see that it continues going forward.”
The United States looks forward to making a robust partnership with ASEAN even stronger and “address[ing] the most pressing issues of our time, particularly those that have a direct impact on the lives of all of our citizens,” said Secretary Blinken. "We are here responsible to them, and the purpose of this partnership is to do right by them.”