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US-Asean relations

US-Asean relations
Breaking news and analysis on US-Asean relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

videocam
15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

videocam
5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

videocam
18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand are among countries affected by the United States’ 75-country visa suspension. Photo: TNS
Asean

Visa suspension tests US priorities in Southeast Asia

The move reflects an ‘America first’ policy approach and treats certain allies in the region as ‘strategically insignificant’, analysts say.

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War and conflict

Opinion | If Trump wants a deal with China, he must rein in US allies in Asia

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India

‘Pax Silica’: America’s new AI inner circle and Asia’s chosen few

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United States

Southeast Asia barely features in America’s new security strategy

The region appears just twice in the new 32-page US National Security Strategy, raising fears it is being relegated to a ‘bargaining chip’.

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US President Donald Trump is pictured next to Malaysian flags before departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Air Force One in October. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Cambodia suspends all border crossings with Thailand amid more clashes

Both nations reported attacks on Saturday, the day after US President Donald Trump claimed they had agreed to renew a truce.

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China trade

Explainer | Tripwire clauses: why is China alarmed by Malaysia’s new trade deal with the US?

Controversial wording seen as a geopolitical trap designed to force neutral countries to uphold Western containment strategies.

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Asean

Opinion | In its year under Malaysia, Asean tried to set systemic reform in motion

Despite grumbles about loss of focus and misgivings about the longevity of new networks, Malaysia, ironically, perhaps didn’t go far enough.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim hands the gavel over to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr at the closing ceremony of the 47th Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 28. The Philippines takes over as Asean chair on January 1. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

US lawmakers urge Trump to condemn Myanmar’s China-backed ‘sham’ elections

Call comes after government’s plan to stop legal protections for Myanmar nationals in US, citing elections as proof situation was improving.

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Thailand

Why Trump won’t let Thailand keep tariff, border talks separate

The US president views the Thai-Cambodia ceasefire deal as a ‘diplomatic trophy’ and will use trade leverage to protect it, analysts say.

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Scams and swindles

What US anti-scam ‘strike force’ means for Southeast Asia’s cybercrime fight

Analysts say the US initiative can serve as a coordination blueprint to push back against transnational criminal enterprises.

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US Attorney Jeanine Pirro points to a text message sent by a scammer as she announces the Scam Centre Strike Force in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

Asean, China, Japan and South Korea hold ‘transformative’ critical minerals opportunity

Director of Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office says some Southeast Asian economies have notable reserves.

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US President Donald Trump signed a critical minerals deal with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Trump calls Thailand and Cambodia after new clashes upend his ceasefire deal

The US president co-signed a truce between the two countries, but a landmine blast prompted Thailand to suspend the agreement.

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Thailand

Exclusive | Thailand’s top diplomat calls for Asean to rethink non-interference principle

In an exclusive interview, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow argues Asean’s consensus model needs reform amid US-China rivalry.

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Asean

Opinion | How Asean quietly became China’s buffer against US tariffs

China and Asean now have a lawful way to cushion tariffs by shifting where value is added, how it is recorded and which standards to meet.

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China’s Premier Li Qiang (far left) and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (far right), witness the signing ceremony for the Asean-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol by China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Malaysia’s Minister of Investment Abdul Aziz in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Octover 28. Photo: AP
Thailand

Trump’s Thailand-Cambodia truce unravels 2 weeks after it was signed

Analysts say the pact the US president helped broker was tenuous from the outset.

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Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (centre) looks on as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (left) shakes hands with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26. Photo: EPA
US-China trade war

US ‘knocking on every country’s door’ as it races to secure rare earth supplies

Washington is determined to break China’s rare earths chokehold in case ties with Beijing fray once again, analysts say.

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Malaysia

Who wins the US-China trade war? Maersk’s mega-bet backs Southeast Asia

The shipping giant sees Southeast Asia as a net beneficiary of Trump’s tariff turmoil.

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Asean

Opinion | Manila’s biggest challenge as next Asean chair? Staying neutral

The Philippines’ challenge, given its assertive South China Sea policy, is to keep the bloc out of great power politics.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Vietnam

Avoiding ‘strategic suicide’: Vietnam’s US-Russia-China diplomatic dance

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s visit pushed military cooperation, but Vietnam wants to ensure it keeps all its geopolitical options open.

Cambodia

Cambodia resumes military drills with US to rebalance ties beyond China

The Angkor Sentinel drills signal renewed US interest in the region and allow Cambodia to recalibrate its ties beyond China, analysts say.

China trade

China pushes for trilateral trade pact with Japan, South Korea amid US tension

Divergent interests, new governments and Washington’s influence complicate Beijing’s efforts to forge deeper economic ties with Japan and South Korea.

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A cargo ship sails into the port in Qingdao in China’s Shandong province on Monday. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China, US to revive military channels but more steps deemed essential for trust

US and China agree to ‘set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise’, Hegseth says in post.

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Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth met his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting Plus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday and again on Saturday. Photo: Handout
Cambodia

US, Cambodia rekindle military ties after Trump’s peace deal

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the return of the Angkor Sentinel drills, paused in 2017, after meeting his Cambodian counterpart.

Rare earths

America’s ‘concerning’ lust for rare earths rocks Southeast Asia

Hastily signed rare earths pacts with Thailand and Malaysia have raised alarm about the environmental and economic fallout.

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United States

Outside In | Trump’s unilateralism in Asia makes ‘world minus one’ clear

While the US president’s trip to the region coincided with multilateral summits, he was clearly more interested in bilateral deals.

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US President Donald Trump looks on as people wave Malaysian national flags before he departs on Air Force One from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on October 27. Photo: AFP
Asean

Opinion | Gone are the days of unlimited US power in Southeast Asia

Trump’s attendance at the Asean summit comes as members assert their agency and no longer look to Washington for unrivalled support.

Illustration: Craig Stephens
Asean

Did Asean members get short-changed by Trump on ‘strings attached’ trade deals?

The individual deals signed by Trump with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam may lead to long-term economic costs, analysts say.

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Asean

Editorial | Caught between China and the US, Asean could act as a go-between

The East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur highlighted the challenging position Southeast Asian nations find themselves in as superpower rivalry intensifies.

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