JAKARTA -- China is forging new economic ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, while U.S. President Joe Biden's absence from the gathering of the bloc's leaders in Jakarta this week highlights Washington's failure to challenge its rival's dominance in the region.
Despite tension over China's new territorial map, China and ASEAN leaders on Wednesday signed several new documents -- including to make agriculture "a new growth engine" and to ensure food security in the region.
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