Biden, ASEAN leaders launch comprehensive strategic partnership
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday said a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the United States and the ASEAN bloc will help to tackle "the biggest issues of our time", Reuters reported.
Biden in remarks at a summit of the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Cambodia said the agreement would help build "an Indo-Pacific that's free and open, stable and prosperous, and resilient and secure."
Biden said the U.S administration would build on the past year’s U.S. $250 million in new initiatives with ASEAN by requesting a further $850 million for the next 12 months. He said it would pay for more Southeast Asian projects such as an integrated electric vehicle ecosystem and clean energy infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions.