US and China spar on Asean stageWhile all eyes were on Kamala Harris when she visited Southeast Asia last week, China loomed large over the event, partly because the US vice president several times mentioned China in public comments. In Singapore on Tuesday, Ms Harris charged China with bullying its Southeast Asian neighbours. Chinese state media said Ms Harris was seeking to drive a wedge between China and its Asean neighbours. President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, captured some of the spotlight with a vow to try to hit key economic and social development targets this year, even n the face of aggressive efforts to containing Covid-19. For Washington, it is essential to engage Southeast Asia as a regional collective with Asean having a key role, rather than appearing to write off some states as beholden to China.

Source: Bangkok Post August 30, 2021 01:52 UTC