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.
US-China tensions
China deepens ties with ASEAN as Biden skips Jakarta summits
Partnerships forged despite map furor; Li test rides Indonesia high-speed rail
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, right, takes a test ride with Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia's coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, on a China-backed high-speed railway in Indonesia on Sept. 6. (Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment/Kyodo)
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