U.S. seeks to upgrade its presence in Southeast Asia

by Xinhua writers Zhou Erjie, Zhang Qiulai, Zhu Li

PHUKET, Thailand, July 23 (Xinhua) -- In a short sentence she delivered a clear message to the world -- "The United States is back in Southeast Asia," said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday, signaling deepening U.S. engagement in the region after years' of negligence.

The U.S. signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia with member states of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) Wednesday in the southern Thai resort island of Phuket, a widely-watched move that could have profound implications for the future of Southeast Asia, as well as the Asia-Pacific region at large.

The TAC, a peace treaty, was signed in 1976. It is the ASEAN's founding non-aggression pact aimed at promoting regional stability. It was amended on Dec. 15, 1987 by a protocol to open the document for accession by states outside Southeast Asia.

The TAC establishes general principles governing the relations between State parties, with the intention of promoting "perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation" within Southeast Asia.

Accession to the TAC by non-members often is seen as a symbol of commitment to engagement in Southeast Asia, and to the ASEAN's emphasis on multilateral processes.

"This treaty seals our commitment to work in partnership with the nations of ASEAN to advance the interest and values we share," Clinton said.

The U.S. return to the region follows what many analysts say years of negligence, as U.S. is preoccupied by Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush Administration.