PHNOM PENH: US President Joe Biden told Asian leaders on Sunday that US communication lines with China would stay open to prevent conflict, as the first of three summits of world leaders this week ended, with tense talks almost certain in the days ahead.
Biden during an address to the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, said the US would "compete vigorously" with Beijing while "ensuring competition does not veer into conflict", stressing the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The Southeast Asia region is also hosting the Group of 20 Summit in Indonesia's Bali this week, ahead of which Biden will meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the first time since taking office, with relations between the two superpowers at their worst in decades.
The war in Ukraine and its economic fallout is expected to dominate discussions in Bali and at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bangkok at the end of the week, as alongside climate commitments, food insecurity and tensions over the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and North Korea.
Eighteen countries accounting for half the global economy attended Sunday's East Asia Summit, which was held behind closed doors, attended by the ASEAN nations, Japan, South Korea, China, India, the US, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
At a separate news conference, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his brief discussions the previous day with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang were constructive and positive, amid anticipation of a formal summit with Xi.
