Southeast Asian nations have been hit hard by the sweeping reciprocal tariffs announced by the Trump administration on Wednesday, which threaten to damage the region’s manufacturing industries and undermine U.S. influence in the region. The stunning array of tariffs, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House lateContinue Reading
“If we say prioritize everything, then we might as well say prioritize nothing,” one Southeast Asian defense official recently noted on the sidelines of a forum, referring to the state of regional maritime security. The comment captured the difficulties inherent in continuing to address comprehensive maritime security challenges while alsoContinue Reading
“This is our problem now, not China’s,” an Indonesian interlocutor noted amid a lengthy delay late last year on board Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway linking the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Bandung, which was built by China and began operation in late 2023. The comment highlights the complexities ofContinue Reading
The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Ian Ja Chong – associate professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore – is the 448th in “TheContinue Reading
