A ranking official of the United States’ Department of State emphasized the need for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to stand against “aggression from outside parties” and maintain freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Flags of ASEAN members (Photo courtesy of ASEAN)

The US and ASEAN held its 37th Annual US-ASEAN Dialogue earlier this week in Siem Reap, Cambodia to discuss the ongoing cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

“Senior Bureau Official (Sean) O’Neill discussed pressing geopolitical issues with his ASEAN counterparts, including the importance of facilitating a free and open Indo-Pacific and effectively standing against aggression from outside parties,” a statement from the State Department said.

It did not, however, identify the “outside parties” it was referring to, although China and the US are currently at loggerheads over their trade relations and what Beijing sees as Western interference in the South China Sea dispute.

“He (O’Neill) further expressed the need to uphold freedoms of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea in the South China Sea,” it added.

O’Neill, senior bureau official for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, chaired the dialogue with Cambodian Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Kung Phoak.

He also assured participants “of President Trump’s commitment to prioritize the safety, security, and prosperity of our citizens.”

The dialogue came amid a backdrop of the Trump administration’s push for an “American First” foreign policy, which led to the dismantling of its foreign aid programs, the higher tariffs imposed on most of the US’ trade partners, and China’s aggression in the resource-rich South China Sea.

O’Neill also stressed Trump’s “goal of establishing greater fairness and reciprocity in our trade relationships,” noting that the US remains the top source of foreign direct investment for the ASEAN region.

With the US’ push for an inclusive digital economy, the official also underscored the importance of expanding cooperation on a range of other issues, including cybersecurity and developing emerging technologies.

Cooperation on combating transnational crimes, such as online scam centers and synthetic drugs, was also part of the discussion, the US State Department’s statement said.