From now on, Asean-US relations will no longer be on "auto-pilot" mode as has been the case for the past six years. The total scheduled 10-and-a-half hours of quality time last week that Asean leaders spent in Washington DC chatting, lunching and dining with all key players in American politics were fruitful. The eight-page joint vision statement was a testimony to their common determination and the staying power of Asean-US relations, now celebrating 45 years. Indeed, Asean centrality has been further strengthened.
More importantly, President Joe Biden is now in charge of one of the most important bilateral relationships for the region. It is not an overstatement to say that it is up to Mr Biden how he wants to shape the trajectory of Asean-US ties. He told Asean leaders at the end of their meeting that "a great deal of the history of our world in the next 50 years is going to be written in Asean countries". He was spot-on.
