MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Despite the no-show of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at an annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the U.S. assured its partners Wednesday that it is committed to the region and applauded the group for promoting democracy in its draft charter.

"The United States considers its relations with ASEAN as a critical component of its dealings with East Asia as a whole," Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told the foreign ministers of the 10-member group.

He said that Rice, who is traveling with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the Middle East, regretted that she was not able to attend the meetings in Manila. He assured the ministers that ASEAN is on Washington's agenda, saying: "My message today is that our engagement in this part of the world is strong, and we are committed to deepening our ties even further in the time ahead."

Foreign Minister George Yeoh of Singapore, which is taking over ASEAN's rotating chairmanship from the Philippines this year, said the region "fully understands why she can't be with us here. ... We have a vested interest in her success."

"These are challenging times that we live in, and U.S. leadership is critical," he added. "The ASEAN-U.S. relationship is a key pillar in the regional architecture. For ASEAN, this partnership is crucial for the balance of the evolving geopolitical structure."

China, an ASEAN dialogue partner together with Japan and South Korea, has been expending its economic, political and military clout in the region. Washington has expressed concern over its military spending and buildup, and repeatedly urged Beijing to be more transparent.

Yeoh said U.S. investments and markets -- two-way trade with ASEAN reached US$168 billion (euro122 billion) last year -- have helped Asia's rapid growth.

Negroponte said Washington was not only interested in Asia's economy but democracy as well.

He lauded the inclusion of democratic values, good governance, the rule of law and human rights in a draft of a new ASEAN charter, which is expected to be signed by leaders at a summit in Singapore in November.

"One area where ASEAN is playing a stronger role is in support of democracy," he said.

ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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