With its commitment to deepen partnership with Asian countries, the United States of America today underlined that it is elevating its engagement across the board with Asia.
In her remarks today at the U.S.-ASEAN Business Forum
in Cambodia, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the US government is paying particular attention to ASEAN and Southeast Asia in its agenda to expand partnership.
She says the US is pursuing a economic statecraft and jobs diplomacy agenda to promote sustainable growth and prosperity across the region and, of course.
“We know that by doing so it will help the countries of ASEAN, but it will also help the United States. Our economic ties are already strong.” -Ms. Clinton
ASEAN and the United States are large trading partners, Ms. Clinton stressed.
In 2011, the U.S. exports to ASEAN exceeded $76 billion, and that was up 42 percent since 2009.
“We have more than twice as much investment in ASEAN as we do in China.” -Ms. Clinton
There is a great deal of potential for continuing to grow their economic activity, she added.
She notes the US wants to do more to deepen its economic partnership.
Ms. Clinton says she is also very convinced that by promoting economic activity in the region, it is not only about encouraging businesses to invest and trade, it is also about building relationships.
She explains that the best way to do that is to be sure that they promote a rules-based system.
“And we want ASEAN and the Asia Pacific to be open for business to everyone willing to work hard and make those investments.” -Ms. Clinton
She encourages the participants of the Forum to work and try to determine the best way to increase that connectivity, increase those relationships, make those investments, and really build sustainable economies, jobs, jobs back home in the United States, and the kind of future that we want in the 21st century for the people of the ASEAN nations.
Cambodia has assumed chairmanship in the upcoming the ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2012.
United States and Cambodia work well together in so many ways.
In the past two years, bilateral relations between the United States and Cambodia have strengthened.
The U.S. supports efforts in Cambodia to combat terrorism, build democratic institutions, promote human rights, foster economic development, eliminate corruption, achieve the fullest possible accounting for Americans missing from the Vietnam War-era, and to bring to justice those most responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed under the Khmer Rouge regime, according to Wikipedia.
The United States is deeply supportive of the connectivity initiative that ASEAN has initiated.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or popularly know ASEAN is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia. It was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The membership has expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam through the years.
The ASEAN aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.
