The Titans Converge

At the U.S.–ASEAN summit in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, President Joe Biden Jr. demonstrated his understanding of what the meeting represented. His presence at the summit wasn’t simply a matter of protocol; rather, he came to address China’s increasing influence in the region. As reported by the Manila Post, “the aim is to create a region that is free and open, stable and prosperous, resilient and secure.” Thus, we see that the stakes for such a meeting are hardly routine.
In addition to conducting high-stakes diplomacy, Biden made an embarrassing mistake when during his speech he referred to Cambodia as “Colombia”. This may be viewed as a minor misstep, yet it humanizes him and reminds us that regardless of how important international gatherings can be, they are still carried out by humans who experience pressure and make mistakes.
While Biden did make a significant point about the fact that this visit represents only the second time a sitting U.S. President will have been to Cambodia, he also stated that this is actually his “third trip, third summit, second in person, [and] testifies to the value which the United States places on its relations with ASEAN.” The importance of this goes far beyond this particular visit. By granting the U.S. “comprehensive strategic partnership” status within ASEAN, this essentially puts the U.S. on par with China in terms of regional influence. This is something that would have appeared highly improbable just a few short years ago.
Perhaps one of the more visually jarring aspects of this summit occurred when an empty chair was placed where Myanmar’s representative normally sits. Because Myanmar is currently unable to send its representatives to officially participate in ASEAN events (due to their military coup), its representation remained absent. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the image of the empty chair sent a powerful message. On this topic, Biden pressed Cambodia’s government regarding their human rights record and urged them to continue to move towards greater openness and participation in civil society before the next round of national elections. Additionally, he stressed that there needs to be increased scrutiny of maritime activities throughout the area, including illegal shipping and fishing, in light of the continued disputes over territory in the South China Sea.
As the upcoming G–20 summit in Bali approaches, media coverage has already begun to speculate regarding the potential face-to-face meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi. While these summits seldom occur in isolation, beneath the outward displays of friendship and agreement, there exists a complex network of competing interests, strategies and interdependent relationships- along with the occasional verbal gaffe that seems to cut right through all of those layers.