With a population of 650 million and an annual GDP of $2.8 trillion, ASEAN is a key component of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy. Two visitors to the East-West Center, Kavi Chongkittavorn and Anu Anwar, emphasized that the United States needs to take several steps to strengthen working relations with ASEAN. Priorities for the Trump administration include:

• Attend the annual ASEAN-sponsored East Asia Summit
• Establish personal rapport with ASEAN leaders
• Participate actively in all ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting Plus, and the Lower Mekong Initiative
• Appoint an American envoy to ASEAN, a position that has been vacant for more than 30 months
• Maintain the ASEAN-focused programs and activities initiated under previous US administrations
• Expand educational, cultural, and youth programs
• Strengthen the US-ASEAN security commitment, in particular maritime and cyber security