Biden should give ASEAN leaders face time to improve ties, says Cambodian minister

Reuters. U.S. President Joe Biden gives a thumbs up as he departs for Ohio from the White House in Washington, U.S., May 6, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

By David Brunnstrom and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden should give Southeast Asian leaders more personal time during a summit in Washington next week if his administration is serious about elevating U.S. ties with the region, where China holds significant sway, a senior Cambodian official told Reuters on Friday.

No individual meetings were currently planned between the region's leaders and Biden when the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meets with Biden as a bloc for talks on May 12 and 13, said Kao Kim Hourn, a minister and close adviser to Cambodia's long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Cambodia holds the rotating ASEAN chair and up to eight leaders, including Hun Sen, are expected to attend the Washington summit. Myanmar's leader has been excluded over a coup there last year and the Philippines will be in a transition period after an election.

Kao Kim Hourn told Reuters in an interview that ASEAN leaders should be treated with respect and equality and given the chance to spend useful time with Biden.