US President Joe Biden will be hosting Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders from May 12-13 in Washington at a special summit, signalling US efforts to engage with the Asia-Pacific amid intensifying competition with China. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have recently been exacerbated by the launch of several Asian trade agreements, and White House language has been frank in its assessment of China’s role in the region. Against this geopolitical backdrop, the US-Asean Special Summit presents a crucial opportunity for Washington to set the stage for defining the details of its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), announced last October. For...