Singapore, Nov 15 (IANS): US President Mike Pence on Thursday reiterated Washington's firm commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) during the bloc's annual summit here.

Describing Asean as an "irreplaceable and indispensable" strategic partner, Pence said the US commitment to the Indo-Pacific region was "steadfast and enduring", reports Efe news.

"In all that we do, the US seeks collaboration, not control," he said.

Pence, who attended the summit in the place of US President Donald Trump, emphasised the security principles that his country shares with the group, including freedom of maritime navigation and border guarantees.

"We all agree that empire and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific," Pence said in an apparent reference to the territorial disputes that China has with four Asean members (Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines), as well as Taiwan, over islands in the South China Sea.

Asean, comprised of Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, has been holding its annual leaders' summit in the city-state, as well as staging meetings with some of its main partners, including the US, China, Japan, Russia, Australia and India.