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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, citing a scheduling conflict, said July 11 that she will not attend the July 24 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Vientiane, Laos. Although the United States is not an ASEAN member, it traditionally takes part in the Regional Forum (ARF), so Rice's announcement has generated a fair amount of controversy in Asia -- as well as speculation as to why she is skipping the forum.

Scheduling conflict aside, Rice's decision likely is a sign of Washington's disapproval of the ASEAN initiative to create an East Asian bloc that would include China and Japan. Furthermore, Washington intends to show ASEAN that it cannot have a real regional dialogue without U.S. participation -- even if it has been able to bring China and Japan into the talks.

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