The Trump Administration has broken with the tradition of pursuing its national interests in tandem with an emphasis on alliances and values. Southeast Asian countries will respond accordingly.
Just over a year into US President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration’s strategy in Southeast Asia is finally starting to crystallise. Washington’s increasingly transactional inclinations in areas such as the South China Sea and critical minerals threaten to erode its bank of trust that has made America the preferred regional power in the past.
Rather than focusing on values promotion or on explicitly countering China, Trump has clearly prioritised acquiring critical…