China Daily: Asean should beware US hijacking its agenda

Top US diplomat Blinken was at the Asean summit to reiterate the United States’ commitment to Asean centrality. — Bernama

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Vientiane, capital of Laos, from Tuesday to Friday to attend a series of Asean and related leaders’ meetings.

Although the US State Department has claimed that Blinken took advantage of the trip to reiterate the United States’ commitment to Asean centrality, the top US diplomat is pushing the grouping to align itself with the Joe Biden administration’s China-targeted “Indo-Pacific” strategy.