TOPIC

US-Asean relations

US President Joe Biden poses with other leaders during the 2022 Asean summit in Phnom Penh. Photo: Reuters

Biden skips Southeast Asia summits – is it a snub or strategy shift?

Biden’s absence does not necessarily indicate weaker US interest in Southeast Asia but rather a shift in engagement strategy, analysts say.

videocam
11

Asian Angle | Strengthening Asean is key for the US to boost its Indo-Pacific strategy

videocam

Opinion | Asean neutrality remains key to regional peace amid US-China rivalry

videocam

Biden administration to raise South China Sea, Ukraine at Asean summit

The US secretary of state is expected to raise both topics in Laos this week, highlighting China’s actions in each.

46
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed to Laos for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Photo: Reuters

Opinion | How Southeast Asia’s diplomatic dance sidesteps great power ensnarement

The leaders of Malaysia and Indonesia, among others, increasingly seek a nuanced engagement of ‘multi-alignment’ and being ‘multi-regional’.

videocam

Opinion | Whether Trump or Harris wins, for Manila, 1 thing will stay the same

Given the US’ contest with China, the Philippines’ strategic role and its alliance with Washington will remain critical.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement

Letters | A strong Vietnam-US partnership cannot neglect human rights

Reader discuss the need for democratisation in Vietnam, and China’s support of Africa.

US President Joe Biden (left) meets Vietnamese President To Lam on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25. Photo: AFP

Opinion | Asean needs a plan to navigate choppy US-China relations

The regional grouping is at a crossroads, under pressure from its own citizens to do better amid high anxiety over major power competition.

videocam

US official defends mix of diplomacy and competition with China in Indo-Pacific

Daniel Kritenbrink of State Department says dealing with Beijing in the region requires ‘intense’ statecraft and communications.

videocam

Asian Angle | Why Malaysia has stayed quiet but firm on its South China Sea stance

Anwar’s government has adhered to the three-pronged policy of maintaining China ties while still protecting Malaysia’s sovereign rights.

videocam
A Chinese coastguard ship passes a Philippine vessel during a resupply mission to Sabina Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Monday. Photo: AFP

Manila says Asean risks irrelevance by being soft on China over maritime row

Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro also calls for a regional version of the Mutual Defence Treaty to counter China’s aggression.

videocam
17
A Chinese coastguard ship and a Philippine coastguard ship sailing near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

How Kamala Harris’ Southeast Asia trips could shape her presidency

As vice-president, Harris deepened Washington’s ties with Asean and issued a clear rebuke of Beijing’s expansive South China Sea claims.

videocam

Opinion | Can the US lure a China-friendly Thailand back into its orbit?

As Thailand’s military exerts more control over the political process, the country has increasingly seen China as an alternative partner.

videocam

Opinion | How Myanmar has defied international expectations

Many expected one of two outcomes for Myanmar following the military coup: isolation or functioning in China’s shadow. Neither has happened.

videocam
Soldiers on horseback lead the convoy of Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing as he arrives at the parade ground to mark the country’s Independence Day in Naypyidaw on January 4, 2023. Photo: AFP

Opinion | Southeast Asia must factor Big Tech firms into its US-China calculus

Southeast Asian states must recognise that it is not only countries but also large companies which shift the power balance on the global stage.

Participants queue to enter a venue during the Microsoft Build: AI Day event in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 30. Microsoft announced it will invest US$1.7 billion US dollar to build cloud and Artificial Intelligence infrastucture in Indonesia in the next four years. Photo: EPA-EFE

US must prioritise matching China’s presence in Global South, a top envoy says

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell tells Senate Foreign Relations Committee one essential step is to expedite approval of a backlog of ambassador nominations.

13

Asian Angle | Southeast Asia and the Global South: rhetoric vs reality

As China, India – and others – vie to be the Global South’s champion, Southeast Asia’s complexities challenge the one-size-fits-all narrative.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement

An America under Trump 2.0 makes Asia anxious – again

Asian nations are watching the 2024 US election with trepidation, worried a Trump comeback could upend the geopolitical landscape once more.

videocam
11
Former US President Donald Trump steps on stage at a campaign event in New Hampshire earlier this year. Photo: AP

Opinion | The world will look back on US foreign policy under Biden with nostalgia

Whether Trump or Harris wins, Biden’s departure will mark the end of an era of distinctly multilateral American leadership

videocam
15

Russia, China should join forces in Southeast Asia, Lavrov says at Asean meeting

China’s foreign minister pledges to work with Russia to safeguard their ‘core interests’ and ‘always be a good partner’.

videocam
43

Top US envoy expects to meet Chinese counterpart during tour of Asian allies

Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to engage with Wang Yi, but will also face partners’ questions about the direction of US policy in a tumultuous election season.

videocam
10
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Asia is expected to include discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the Asean sidelines, but also questions from allies about the direction of US foreign policy. Photo: AP

Opinion | US practice of divide and rule could be the ruin of us all

It means market fragmentation, economic destruction, social upheaval and loss of lives. In a fractured world today, it could trigger another world war.

videocam
9
US President Joe Biden speaking at a Fourth of July event on the South Lawn of the White House. The “us vs them” approach of favouring some countries and ostracising others stokes ideological confrontation. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

Opinion | Malaysia’s cordial ties with China don’t make it Beijing’s vassal

Contrary to the fears of some observers, Malaysia is perfectly capable of securing its interests without choosing one side over another.

videocam

Asian Angle | US has to regain Asean’s trust after its anti-China Covid jab fake news campaign

News of the US military’s secret disinformation campaign to undermine China’s Covid-19 vaccine has outraged the Philippines.

12

US envoy in Hanoi after Putin trip, says US-Vietnam trust at ‘all-time high’

Senior diplomat Daniel Kritenbrink raised concerns over Russian aggression in Ukraine, as well as Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea.

videocam
16
Daniel Kritenbrink, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, delivers a speech at a hotel in Taguig, Metro Manila, in May. Photo: AFP

Opinion | Asean all adrift over South China Sea consensus

Divisions are undermining Asean centrality as nations from Malaysia to the Philippines disagree on the China threat and nurture different priorities.

videocam
9
Illustration: Craig Stephens

As US plugs Asean trade loophole, China’s solar panel makers face dilemma

US has opened investigations into solar panel products from Southeast Asia to block a well-trodden tariff workaround used by Chinese manufacturers.

videocam
19

Opinion | Why US and Malaysia must re-examine relations in a changed world

The US and Malaysia have long-standing ties which have endured many difficulties, but they cannot ignore the reality of a changing world. The truth is that there are insurmountable positional and expectational gaps between the countries, and a mature relationship must acknowledge this fact.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
US-Asean relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Asean relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
last updated:
15 October, 2024
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement