ARTICLES

11 Feb 2025

Trump’s Aid Cuts Could Devastate Myanmar More Than Anyone Expects

Su Mon Thazin Aung

The Trump Administration’s decision to terminate foreign aid has crippling effects on the humanitarian landscape in Myanmar.

5 Feb 2025

Navigating Trump 2.0 Tariffs: Keep Calm and Carry On

Kristina Fong Siew Leng

Southeast Asian countries are likely to be caught up in the crossfire between China and the US. But there could be a silver lining.

Donald Trump Southeast Asia Tariffs US

4 Feb 2025

Trump 2.0 and Thailand: Transactional Realism

Paul Chambers

The return of Donald Trump to the White House has raised concerns about the health of US-Thailand relations. But some of the fears are overdone.

Thailand U.S. Foreign Policy U.S.-Thailand Relations US

27 Jan 2025

Assessing Indonesia’s Relations with the US After Joining BRICS

Siwage Dharma Negara|Leo Suryadinata

Indonesia has joined the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa organisation. How will this impact its ties with the United States?

BRICS Indonesia Indonesia Foreign Policy US

22 Jan 2025

Will Southeast Asian Countries Pass the US’ Heightened Export Controls?

Maria Monica Wihardja|George Tan

Tightened controls on exports of advanced technologies with US-origin components or technologies will affect key semiconductor-related manufacturing sectors. Southeast Asia can respond with short, medium, and long-run strategies.

China International Trade Southeast Asia Tariffs US

16 Jan 2025

The Economic Implications of Donald Trump’s Presidency for Southeast Asia

Stephen Olson

Amid intensifying US-China tensions under Trump, technological advancements are heightening the relevance of economic security considerations, especially for products containing dual-use technologies. This holds important implications for Southeast Asian countries deeply embedded into regional and global supply chains.

ASEAN-US Relations China-U.S. Relations Trade US

2 Jan 2025

Roundtable on the Return of Trump and Implications for ASEAN-US Relations

The re-election of Donald Trump as the President of the US for a second term is poised to reshape the trajectory of ASEAN-US relations, bringing significant shifts across multiple domains. In December, ASEANFocus+ sought experts’ insights on how the dynamics of this partnership are expected to evolve, in areas of geopolitics, trade, the South China Sea, technological governance, energy, and environmental cooperation.

ASEAN ASEAN-US Relations ASEANFocus US

23 Dec 2024

Trump’s Tariff Threats and Supply Chain Bifurcation: A Lose-Lose Proposition

Jayant Menon

Trump’s threat of tariffs on various countries including China could spark a 1930s-era trade war.

China-U.S. Relations U.S. Foreign Policy U.S.-ASEAN Relations US

18 Dec 2024

Japan-ROK-US Trilateral Relations: Flying into Turbulence

Joanne Lin|William Choong

The political tides are going against the recently impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This could adversely affect the trilateral security arrangement involving Japan, South Korea and the US.

Japan South Korea U.S. Foreign Policy US

28 Nov 2024

Re-ordering the World: China’s Global South Focus versus the Ally-centric Approach of the US

Hoang Thi Ha|Pham Thi Phuong Thao

Institutional balancing has become a key strategy in US-China strategic competition, with both powers taking different approaches in leveraging their institutional networks to advance their strategic agenda. Southeast Asian countries have straddled both institutional realms advocated respectively by China and the US, while continuing to leverage ASEAN-led mechanisms to advance their interests.

China Security US