It is the first to Southeast Asia by a top administration official, and Pence announced Trump will attend the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, in November. He stood up, albeit unsuccessfully, against Beijing's construction of artificial islands that can give it a strong military foothold in the South China Sea. Senior State Department official Patrick Murphy told reporters Thursday that the US would continue freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea. China is the main trading partner for most of Southeast Asia, although the US remains a key source of foreign investment. And in an unusual move, Asean foreign ministers have arranged an 11-way meeting in Washington with Tillerson.

Source: Bangkok Post April 20, 2017 20:37 UTC