US President Joe Biden.  (Photo: REUTERS)

On Thursday, Biden starts a two-day summit with the 10-nation ASEAN in Washington with a dinner for the leaders at the White House before talks at the State Department on Friday.

His administration hopes the efforts will show the countries that Washington remains focused on the Indo-Pacific.

The summit marks the first time that ASEAN's leaders gather as a group at the White House and their first meeting hosted by a US president since 2016.