U.S. needs its own 'ASEAN center'

Japan and India exemplify benefits of institutionalizing exchanges with bloc

Sam Baron and Abhinav Seetharaman

March 23, 2023 17:00 JST

Joe Biden with ASEAN leaders during a special summit at the White House in May 2022: The creation of an ASEAN-U.S. Center would dovetail with initiatives by the Biden administration to bolster ties with the region. © Reuters

Sam Baron is the inaugural policy fellow at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies. Abhinav Seetharaman is a research assistant at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Following in the footsteps of Japan and India, the U.S. should establish a dedicated institution to head up its economic and cultural engagement with Southeast Asia. Such a move would give Washington a way to help quiet doubts about its long-term commitment to the region.