Posted by Matthew Shannon Stumpf on February 8, 2010. Filed under China, Southeast Asia, United States.

Catharin Dalpino, who also blogs here at the Asia Security Initiative Blog, testified February 4 before the U.S.-China Economic Economic and Security Review Commission on “China’s Activities in Southeast Asia and the Implications for U.S. Interests.”

She makes six recommendations:

1. Commit to an annual US-ASEAN Summit, and use it as a vehicle to bring the President of the United States to Southeast Asia once a year.
2. Reassure Southeast Asians that the United States will not decrease its presence in the South China Sea. 
3. Press Beijing to become part of the Mekong River Commission, which would help legitimate discussion and action to remediate the environmental, human health and employment impacts of developments on the Mekong. 
4. Address the drift in US-Thai relations with a dialogue process to reinvigorate the alliance and lower tensions over specific issues.
5. Let the new engagement policy with Burma play out in the fullness of time. 
6. Consider the benefits of legislation introduced to extend trade preferences to Asian Least Developed Countries, similar to those given to African and Caribbean countries.

Read the entire testimony here.