None
DE
An ASEAN Summit Consumed by Middle East Worries
['Joseph Rachman', 'Christian Caryl', 'Bret Devereaux', 'Peter Frankopan', 'Alexandra De Hoop Scheffer', 'Odd Arne Westad', 'Suzanne Nossel', 'Hal Brands', 'Christopher Nye', 'Charles Sun']
Foreign Policy
The South China Sea and the war in the Middle East overshadowed proceedings as both China and the United States continued their track record of shooting themselves in the foot.
Despite this acrimony, the summit’s joint communiqué struck an optimistic note on efforts to finally conclude a code of conduct (COC) for the South China Sea.
However, Rubio’s efforts to depict the United States as a responsible partner for ASEAN were undermined by U.S. actions.
War in the Middle East, not the South China Sea, seems to have dominated the agenda.
Cambodia and Indonesia can both export live primates, reptiles, parrots, and unwashed human hair (ewww) tariff-free to the United States.