President Donald Trump’s new national security adviser will represent the US at the East Asia Summit, according to the White House.
Robert O'Brien will be the lowest-level official to lead the Washington delegation since it was first invited to the regional forum.
The muted presence at the summit in Bangkok on November 3-4 is sure to renew charges that the US is not focused on Asia at a time when China’s clout is growing, AFP said.
Despite Trump’s non-attendance, he is expected to go the following week to a separate summit of the Pacific Rim-wide APEC bloc in Santiago, Chile.