FACT SHEET: U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, One Year On

Vice President Kamala Harris is attending the U.S.-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia from September 5-7, to reaffirm the United States’ enduring commitment to Southeast Asia and ASEAN centrality. The Biden-Harris Administration’s 2024 budget requested an unprecedented $1.2 billion in economic, development, and security assistance for the nations of Southeast Asia, in addition to $90 million dedicated solely to engagement with ASEAN and efforts to strengthen ASEAN institutions. Building on the success of the 2022 U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington, DC, these resources are intended to support the robust implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and ensure U.S.-ASEAN cooperation delivers concrete benefits for the people of Southeast Asia, the United States, and the broader Indo-Pacific.

At the 2022 U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, the United States and ASEAN took the historic step of upgrading our relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). To ensure this elevated partnership reaches its full potential, the leaders of ASEAN and the United States are announcing their intent to establish, through a public-private partnership, a U.S.-ASEAN Center in Washington, DC. The Center will serve as a key hub for ASEAN’s engagement with the United States. Subject to consultations between ASEAN and the United States, the Center’s future activities may include:

Under the auspices of the U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Biden and Vice President Harris have already overseen an unprecedented expansion in U.S.-ASEAN relations, marked by the launch of new ministerial dialogue processes on health, environment and climate, energy, transportation, and women’s empowerment, as well as elevated engagement within existing dialogue tracks on foreign affairs, economics, and defense – led on the U.S. side by Secretary Becerra, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry and Administrator Regan, Secretary Granholm, Secretary Buttigieg, Administrator Power, Secretary Blinken, Ambassador Tai, and Secretary Austin, respectively. Additionally, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has now extended the U.S.-ASEAN Regional Development Cooperation Agreement to 2029, and the United States is rapidly scaling the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment in Southeast Asia. In the years to come, the United States and ASEAN will continue working together to institutionalize and expand cooperation in each of these important areas, in order to promote ASEAN as an “Epicentrum of Growth” and advance a free and open region that is increasingly connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient.

INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH, THE INNOVATION ECONOMY, AND HIGH-QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE

The Biden-Harris Administration continues to strengthen U.S. economic cooperation with Southeast Asia and ASEAN in pursuit of inclusive growth and broad-based prosperity. The United States is the largest source of foreign direct investment in Southeast Asia, and more than 6,200 U.S. businesses have contributed to a record $520.3 billion in total trade between the United States and the nations of ASEAN in 2022, creating 625,000 jobs in all 50 states and 1 million jobs throughout Southeast Asia.

In August 2023, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Tai co-chaired a ministerial with ASEAN economic ministers, deepening cooperation on trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, the digital economy, and support for SMEs. Ministers also endorsed the 2023-2024 ASEAN-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement and Expanded Economic Engagement Work Plan. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) co-chaired a U.S.-ASEAN Senior Officials Dialogue on Transportation in preparation for a U.S.-ASEAN transportation ministerial, deepening U.S.-ASEAN cooperation on transportation infrastructure and the development of a regional electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem. Key U.S.-ASEAN economic initiatives include:

CLIMATE, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENT

In August 2023, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change and the Environmental Protection Agency met with ASEAN counterparts for the first-ever ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial Dialogue on Environment and Climate Change. Ministers endorsed the ASEAN-U.S. Environment and Climate Work Plan and resolved to work together towards achieving ambitious climate and environmental goals consistent with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy has co-chaired three U.S.-ASEAN ministerials on energy since 2021, reaffirming the United States as a partner of choice in the region and highlighting unprecedented U.S. investments to accelerate the clean energy transition as well as concrete U.S. initiatives to support ASEAN’s clean energy goals. Key U.S.-ASEAN initiatives on climate, energy, and environment include:

DEFENSE & MARITIME COOPERATION

In November 2022, Secretary Austin attended the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus and an Informal ASEAN-U.S. Defense Ministers’ Meeting, where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to ASEAN centrality and a strong U.S.-ASEAN defense partnership in support of the U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Key U.S.-ASEAN defense and maritime initiatives include:

HEALTH, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

In September 2022, Administrator Power co-chaired the first-ever U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, strengthening cooperation on gender mainstreaming, women’s economic empowerment, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, and eliminating gender-based violence. Additionally, Secretary Becerra has co-chaired the U.S.-ASEAN health ministerial meeting, reaffirming our shared commitment to deepening health cooperation and supporting a robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Key U.S.-ASEAN initiatives on health, human rights, and women’s empowerment include: