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US-Asean relations

US-Asean relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Asean relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
last updated:
15 October, 2024
A Cambodian flag flutters as the USS Savannah arrives for a port call at Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Monday. Photo: AP
Cambodia

US warship docks in Cambodia for first time in 8 years

China responded to the US warship’s visit by saying such exchanges should promote regional peace and stability, ‘rather than the opposite’.

Asean

Asian Angle | Why Asean’s neutrality is our greatest asset in a divided world

United States

Opinion | Trump’s transactional foreign policy may have an advantage over Biden’s

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South China Sea

South China Sea: US alliances mar peace and stability, China envoy tells Asean

Beijing’s ambassador to Asean tells forum Western narrative of ‘Ukraine today, East Asia tomorrow’ increases conflict risk in region.

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China’s ambassador to Asean Hou Yanqi has told a forum in Hong Kong the South China Sea is not an issue between China and the Asean nations. Photo: Handout

Will Trump’s ‘tariff tantrums’ spark a US-Southeast Asia trade war?

US protectionism was good for some Asian nations when China was the main target. But this time nowhere looks safe.

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Indonesia

Prabowo’s US, China visits signal ‘personal approach’ to foreign policy

Prabowo visited both the US and China on his first trip abroad as president, as analysts note a more ‘personal approach’ to foreign policy.

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Donald Trump

Will Trump’s presidency reshape Southeast Asia’s trade, security landscape?

Trump’s tariff threat and disdain for defence allies coupled with ‘China hawks’ in his cabinet pose great risk for the region, experts say.

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Donald Trump attends the America First Policy Institute’s gala in Florida on November 14. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
South China Sea

Opinion | China draws red line at Scarborough Shoal after Manila’s new maritime laws

Beijing’s move aims to legitimise future enforcement measures while avoiding overt military escalation, a hallmark of its strategy in contested maritime areas.

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United States

Trump will keep US-Philippines economic and defence ties strong: Manila envoy

If Washington cuts back, Manila is ready to work with other regional partners, Philippine Ambassador to US Jose Manuel Romualdez adds.

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United States

Macroscope | Trump’s tariff weapon may amount to little in a changed world

US-China decoupling and trade diversification across the Asia-Pacific mean Trump’s tariffs are no longer capable of mass destruction.

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Donald Trump is reflected in the bullet-proof glass as he finishes speaking at a campaign rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, on November 3. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Can ‘troublemaker’ Philippines acquire US-made missiles of its own?

The Philippines aims to enhance its defence capabilities by buying its own mid-range missiles, but questions about feasibility loom large.

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A mid-range capability (MRC) launcher from the US Army arrives for deployment on Northern Luzon, the Philippines, in April. Photo: US Army
SCMP Highlights

Recap | US women’s sex strike, Musk’s Trump bet: opinions on US election fallout

Explore the potential global impact of a second Trump term through the eyes of our opinion writers.

United States

Opinion | Trump will ask Asia-Pacific what it can offer. Leaders must think hard

From support for the US military industrial complex to countering China, leaders must start deciding their trade-offs, bottom lines and no-go areas.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | China can build bridges as Trump’s America builds walls

Regardless of Trump’s approach, Beijing should avoid withdrawing from the world and instead seize the opportunity to attract global talent.

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A police officer helps a traveller fill out an entry registration card at Beijing Capital International Airport, on July 10. Photo: Xinhua
US presidential election 2024

Global South faces trickier US-China balancing act after Trump victory

The pledge to put 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese exports will have a major impact on economic decision-making across different continents.

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Donald Trump, pictured at an Asean summit in 2017. Photo: AP
US presidential election 2024

What will a Trump or Harris win mean for China? SCMP editors give their view

From trade to tech to Taiwan, our China and US editors weigh in on the key issues.

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The Philippines

Where would the competing views of Harris and Trump leave the Philippines?

The contrasting visions of Harris and Trump could either fortify the US-Philippine alliance or leave Manila vulnerable to regional pressures.

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US presidential election 2024

Opinion | How the next US president can ensure America’s leadership role in Asia

American policy, dominated by strategic competition with China, must be shaped to more closely match Asia’s value to the US.

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US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris at their respective campaign events recently. Photo: AFP
Asean

Asian Angle | How Southeast Asia can help bolster regional security amid US-China rivalry

It is in the region’s interests to welcome the independent involvement of extra-regional powers to keep vital sea lanes free and open.

Asean

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.

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US presidential election 2024

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

Whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins next month, a renewed focus on Asean will be essential for lasting stability amid China tensions.

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Asean leaders reach for each other’s hands during a group photo at the opening ceremony of the Asean Summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Asean

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

As next Asean chair Malaysia shows, an open door to all, even with intensifying great power competition, is vital to stability and development.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-Asean relations

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.

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Asean

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’.

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US presidential election 2024

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.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr talks to US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral Samuel Paparo during a courtesy visit, at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila on August 27. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

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
Asean

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.

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US-China relations

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.

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