KUALA LUMPUR: Southeast Asia remains a “clear priority” for the United States despite concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies in the region, said Washington’s envoy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). US Ambassador to ASEAN Kevin Kim told CNA that the Trump administration had given firm direction that it intends to deepen ties with Southeast Asia. “We have very clear direction from the top of our government, from the top of our leadership that Southeast Asia remains a clear priority for the United States government,” said Kim, who was in Kuala Lumpur last week for the annual International Military Law and Operations Conference. “At the core of what we want to be doing is providing American solutions to regional challenges and issues.”