Thank you Chair.
Thank you, Ambassador, for being here today.
You started by talking about the military tensions in the region, so I was going to ask about your government's position on ASEAN. How satisfied are you, as a piece of regional multilateral architecture—to use a term you used several times in your opening statement—with the performance of ASEAN in reducing tensions?
I note that, in the last week, in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, there was a PRC coast guard vessel that blocked one of your resupply ships.
Can you explain to the committee your government's view of ASEAN and whether it has been a useful tool? Is it successful at reducing tensions? The look from here is that it's not succeeding in reducing tensions in the region.