Delhi, Hanoi, but not Jakarta. US President Biden is skipping the Asean meeting this week, and sending Vice President Kamala Harris instead. The optics aren’t great, especially as Biden is going to be in the region: He’s travelling to Delhi for the Group of 20 summit and Hanoi right after.

No matter what anyone says, getting the consolation prize is never fun. And that’s what it must feel like for Indonesia, the host of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering. Not only is Biden not attending, he’s snubbing a major regional power — and given that the US has consistently said it wants to build a stronger relationship with Asia, it feels a little like an own goal.

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