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Asean
OpinionComment
Danny Russel
Danny Russel

Opinion | If the US means to win back Asean from China, showing up isn’t enough

  • For years, dwindling US economic engagement hurt American credibility in the region, while China looked increasingly like the only game in town
  • Joe Biden has a critical chance to build on the momentum from his attendance at recent summits, if his administration can put its money where his mouth is

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Danny Russel
Southeast Asia, which hosted three major summits in November – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Group of 20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings – is a resource-rich and strategically vital region of immense importance to the US. But for years, Washington has underinvested in it.
Dwindling US economic and diplomatic engagement had taken a toll on American credibility in the region, while China – which is investing heavily – looked increasingly like the only game in town.

However, with the Democrats’ surprisingly robust showing in the midterm elections, the summits in Southeast Asia showcased a revitalised America that is deeply engaged in the region. This offers Joe Biden a critical chance to build on the momentum from these meetings if – and it’s a big “if” – his administration can put its money where his mouth is and deliver on its many promises.

It’s been said that 80 per cent of success in life is just showing up, and perhaps nowhere does that apply as aptly as in Asia, where respect and personal ties carry great weight. High-level US diplomacy matters greatly in Southeast Asia, and sustained engagement with Asean was crucial to former president Barack Obama’s strategic rebalance to Asia.

Biden’s in-person attendance at the Asean summit in Cambodia (the first time in five years that a US president has attended) underscored the US desire to engage on issues that the region cares about and to showcase the US as a credible partner.

But showing up only gets Biden 80 per cent of the way to real credibility. And at a moment of intense geostrategic rivalry when smaller countries are making far-reaching decisions about where their interests lie, 80 per cent is simply not good enough.

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