White House to host leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next month

The White House on Saturday announced that President Biden will host the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next month for a special summit.

The summit, which will be held on May 12 and May 13, aims to demonstrate the U.S.’s continued commitment to ASEAN’s 10 members, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The White House wrote in a statement that it recognizes “its central role in delivering sustainable solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges, and commemorate 45 years of U.S.-ASEAN relations.”

The gathering will also build on Biden’s participation in October’s U.S.-ASEAN Summit, where he announced $102 million in new initiatives to support the nations’ recovery from COVID-19, address climate change, promote economic growth and develop human capital.

“It is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as a strong, reliable partner in Southeast Asia,” the White House statement said. “Our shared aspirations for the region will continue to underpin our common commitment to advance an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, secure, connected, and resilient.”

The move comes amid tension between the nations over Myanmar’s Feb. 1 coup, in which the junta overthrew the civilian-led government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi. ASEAN later denied a seat at the summit to Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s junta chief, who led the coup in the country. 

The association also banned him from attending its annual summit meeting last year. The move was significant, as members have traditionally avoided public criticism of one another and have operated by consensus.

The coup also led to the U.S., Britain and Canada imposing new sanctions on the military and calling for a stop in arms sales to Myanmar on the one-year anniversary of the event.