▲ ASEAN-US Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand last November


The US agreed to postpone the ASEAN-ASEAN Special Summit scheduled for Las Vegas next month due to concerns about the spread of Coronavirus Infection-19 (Corona 19), according to Reuters. Cited officials.

A senior US official said, "As the international community works together to eradicate Corona19, the United States, through consultation with ASEAN partners, has made a difficult decision to postpone the summit."

The official added that the United States values ​​its relationship with ASEAN members and looks forward to the summit later.

President Trump missed a summit with 10 ASEAN countries in Bangkok, Thailand, in November last year, and instead invited them to his country.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompey said he will continue to prepare for the ASEAN Summit, noting until the 24th, despite concerns about the spread of Corona19.

The move by the United States, which delays the arrival of Southeast Asian leaders and officials, has come under increasing concern that Corona 19 will spread far into the country.

Companies are restricting their overseas business trips due to production and management disruptions caused by infections, and global stock prices are plunging to reflect overall economic slowdown arising from reduced production and consumption.

The US State Department has initiated three stages of travel alerts that require its citizens to refrain from traveling unnecessarily to South Korea and Italy, which have recently surged due to concerns about the spread of Corona19.

The State Department has four levels of warning to ban travel to China, the epicenter of Corona 19.

U.S. health authorities are also focusing on the global proliferation of Corona19 to stop transmission and increase control.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers Corona19's community spread as a time issue and warns that it should prepare for the worst case scenario.

The CDC decided to conduct corona 19 screening for people with respiratory illnesses after visiting major sites in Korea, China, Japan, Italy, and Iran within the last 14 days as corona19 patients with unknown paths of infection appear.

(Photo = EPA, Yonhap News)