US official asserts Trump's agenda in tariff-hit Southeast Asia

Sean O'Neill is representing Washington astatine the 37th ASEAN-US Dialogue, being held successful Siem Reap. Photo: TANG CHHIN Sothy / AFP
Source: AFP

The archetypal US authoritative to sojourn Southeast Asia since Washington announced punitive tariffs connected the region's countries connected Tuesday issued a robust defence of President Donald Trump's overseas argumentation approach.

Sean O'Neill, the United States' elder bureau authoritative for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is successful Cambodia this week, co-chairing the 37th ASEAN-US Dialogue.

The two-day gathering betwixt Washington and the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc is being held successful the metropolis of Siem Reap.

Under Trump's "America First" commercialized policy, the United States has unleashed a tariff blitz which has plunged planetary markets into turmoil and escalated into a commercialized warfare betwixt Washington and Beijing.

State Department typical O'Neill did not notation Trump's sweeping import duties, which person enactment the aboriginal of commercialized relations with Cambodia -- whose exports to the US were deed with 49 percent tariffs -- and the wider ASEAN portion connected a tightrope.

"President Trump's priorities are clear. We volition prosecute a overseas argumentation that makes America safer, stronger, and much prosperous," O'Neill said, adding the extremity of his sojourn was to "represent the interests of the American people".

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US goods imports from the ASEAN bloc totalled $352 cardinal past year, with a commercialized shortage of $228 billion, according to the US Trade Representative's office.

Meeting co-chair Kung Phoak, the caput of authorities astatine Cambodia's overseas ministry, said the dialog was an accidental to "work much meaningfully together" and that some sides indispensable stay "firmly committed to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation".

The State Department said the sojourn aims to reenforce US-ASEAN collaboration for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific that promotes "shared interests successful safety, information and prosperity".

O'Neill, who visited Vietnam past week, is expected to question to Japan successful the coming days.

Source: AFP