The United States has reaffirmed its “deep commitment” to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of which the Philippines is a key member, and vowed to challenge China on issues such as human rights and the South China Sea, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman made this statement during the Asia Pacific Media Hub teleconference from Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, shortly after concluding her three-country swing in Southeast Asia.

“In all of my meetings, I reaffirmed the United States’ deep commitment to the region, to the rules-based international order, to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and to human rights and democracy,” Sherman told reporters.

In her first foreign trip as Deputy State Secretary, Sherman stressed that she specifically chose to travel to Indo-Pacific where the ASEAN with its 10 countries is situated, citing the “region’s pivotal role in shaping the global course of events for generations to come”.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/03/us-vows-to-challenge-china-on-human-rights-south-china-sea-issues/