President Trump will attend three summits in Asia in November, Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday while visiting the headquarters of Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Mr. Pence said the president will attend the U.S.-ASEAN summit and the East Asia summit in the Philippines, as well as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam.
“It’s a sign, I hope, to all, of our firm and unwavering commitment to build on the strong foundations that we already share,” Mr. Pence said. “Our relationship without a doubt, has benefited both ASEAN and America, diplomatically, economically and from the standpoint of national security.”
Then-President Barack Obama hosted the first ASEAN summit held in the U.S. in 2016 in California, and tried to raise the profile of the summits as part of his foreign-policy “pivot” toward Asia.
A shoeless Mr. Pence visited the largest mosque in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, with wife Karen and their daughters, Audrey and Charlotte. The women were also shoeless and veiled, in accordance with Islamic custom, according to a pool reporter traveling with the vice president.
Mr. Pence also held an interfaith dialogue with representatives from the Christian, Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu and Muslim faiths.
“Indonesia’s tradition of moderate Islam is frankly an inspiration,” he said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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