WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will host leaders of Latin American and Caribbean countries at the White House on Friday to discuss economic and immigration issues, as he seeks to strengthen ties in the region to take on China and other global competitors.

The leaders of Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay are expected to attend Friday’s meeting, along with representatives from Mexico and Panama.

The first summit of leaders of the Americas Economic Prosperity Partnership (APEP) comes as Biden’s foreign policy agenda is dominated by the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Ukraine’s attempt to push back Russian invaders.

The United States is expected to announce new development funding for immigrant-receiving countries in the Western Hemisphere, part of an effort to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S.-South border. Mexico and expand economic cooperation in the region.

The summit follows a similarly themed meeting of Western Hemisphere leaders in Los Angeles last year, part of a broader initiative to strengthen regional economic ties and reduce the influence of China in the region.

At the “Summit of the Americas” in Los Angeles last year, Biden signed a non-binding declaration in which 20 countries in the region agreed on a set of measures to address the migration crisis.

Record numbers of migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in recent years, with hundreds of thousands heading north after passing through a jungle hot spot known as the Mexico region. Darién, between Colombia and Panama.

(By Steve Holland)