International

Most Southeast Asian leaders skipped a summit on Monday with U.S. representatives after President Donald Trump decided to avoid the annual meetings for a second straight year.Leaders from Thailand, Laos and Vietnam were the only ones to show up from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the summit with National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, who was leading the U.S. delegation. It was the lowest level representation for the U.S. at the meetings since Barack Obama upgraded ties with Asean in 2011.In remarks at the summit, O’Brien said the U.S. must defend its relationship with Asean at all costs. He read aloud a letter from Trump inviting regional leaders to join him in the U.S. for a special summit.