President Donald Trump has invited Southeast Asian leaders to a “special summit” in the United States early next year after skipping their ongoing annual summit in Thailand.
Robert O’Brien, the National Security Adviser Trump sent in his stead, included the invitation in a letter from Trump that he read at a US-ASEAN meeting on Monday on the sidelines of the summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Monday’s meeting with the US would normally would be attended by Presidents or Prime Ministers.
In a pointed adherence to diplomatic protocol, seven of 10 Southeast Asian countries sent their Foreign Ministers instead.
Only host Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-cha of Thailand and the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Laos joined O’Brien and the foreign ministers sent by other countries.