United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Bangkok next month, where he will recommit his country’s development support to the SEA Region. According to an AFP article, Pompeo will attend the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok on July 29 to August 3. He will also lead discussions on the Lower Mekong Initiative, established by then-secretary of state Hilary Clinton 10 years ago. The aim was to boost economic growth in a region that includes Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. “When ministers and our secretary meet in Bangkok in early August, we will highlight what we have achieved over the past decade and recommit to our joint efforts supporting the people of the Mekong,” Mark Clark, a US official, was quoted as saying. The US government has been critical of China’s growing presence in Southeast Asia. Beijing is accused of trying to “steadily salami-slice its way to control”. He was referring to its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.